From what I can tell, the HTC Touch Pro 2 is not worth the upgrade if you currently own an original Touch Pro. Think of the Touch Pro 2 as a minor upgrade, with little to no performance enhancements, kind of like the whole Vista/XP relationship.
The Touch Pro 2 offers a slightly thinner form factor, a larger screen with higher resolution, and an updated TouchFlo3D interface. Are those features worth the extra $500+ you would pay out of pocket for a new handset (without resigning your contract)? My answer: HECK NO!
Here’s a chart comparing the important features of the Touch Pro to the Touch Pro 2:
| Model | HTC Touch Pro | HTC Touch Pro 2 |
| Processor | Qualcomm® MSM7201A™ 528 MHz | Qualcomm® MSM7200A™, 528 MHz |
| Memory | ROM: 512 MB RAM: 288MB |
ROM: 512 MB RAM: 288 MB |
| Dimensions | 102 mm (L) X 51 mm (W) X 18.05 mm (T) | 116 X 59.2 X 16.65 mm (4.57 X 2.33 X 0.66 inches) |
| Weight | 165 g (with battery) | 178.5 grams (6.3 ounces) with battery |
| Display | 2.8-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 640 VGA resolution | 3.6-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution Adjustable tilt screen |
| Battery | Capacity: 1340 mAh | Capacity: 1500 mAh |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® 2.0 with EDR |
Bluetooth® 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets |
As you can see, there isn’t much of a difference between the two. To highlight, the Touch Pro 2 weighs a little over 10% more than the Touch Pro, is 1.4mm thinner, has 160 more vertical pixels with a .8″ larger screen, and has a slightly larger battery.
With no upgrade to the processor, memory, OR operating system, the Touch Pro 2 is simply an over glorified Touch Pro. The only thing the Touch Pro 2 has going for it is its beautiful screen, but even that’s useless on a slow platform.
When I received my Touch Pro, I wasn’t too happy about the speed, not to mention the poor video playback due to poor drivers. You would think that HTC’s “upgrade” to the Touch Pro would upgrade a little bit more than looks. . .
My advice:
If you’re a current Touch Pro owner still in contract, pass this POS up and wait for the next big thing. If you’re looking for a new smart phone (assuming you’re with Sprint), get the Palm Pre 
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thanks for nothing.
While I agree that the Pro 2 upgrade hardly seems worth it, I love my TP and would NEVER consider going to a Pre.
thnx so much for this post and for comparing the two.
my touch pro still looks new today and feels smaller everyday.
the pre? no way…have you even played with the pre. it cant do half the things the TP can. and im out of contract and ready for a new phone ive had my TP since day one. so now its on to the TP2!!! hip hip hurrayyyy
You purchase the Pre and I will purchase the TP2 with the “JimBoTron” 480×800 screen resolution… When HTC comes out with the TP3, I will purchase that one too…. Yeah the Pre, Mr. DuPree, yeah right, no way…{lol}
Depends on what you want to do and what you want out of your phone. Me? I’m a tinkerer and with the unlock of root access for the Pre, I’ve got a Linux computer in my pocket. It doesn’t get any better than that IMO. Windows Mobile was good, but is prone to lagging like hell.
sorry but your opinion has little credibility when you havent had any first hand experience with the tp2. looking at the specs and compare specs between phones do not carry a lot of weight. the touch pro2 bigger screen make it worth while upgrade for me. the bigger screen and bigger keyboard will help do everything easier like email, text, web, and especially as a portable navigation device.
A few corrections/additions:
1. The Touch Pro is definitely capable of A2DP (I use it everyday)
2. The Sprint version of the Touch Pro 2 will operate on both CDMA and GSM networks.
The GSM capability is a significant upgrade if you travel to Europe.
Ken – Ah yes, A2DP does work on the TP, but funny HTC doesn’t list that on their site. I’ve used in with the S9 headphones. Also, I didn’t know that it has a GSM radio as well; that’s great for people who travel abroad.
Vien – It doesn’t take first hand experience to point out the obvious. Bigger screen and bigger keyboard; those functions hardly contribute to a good smartphone when the updates are minimal at best. I would hardly call the Touch Pro 2 an update to the original Touch Pro seeing as it still has basically the same hardware CPU/memory wise and running the same OS. While all other smartphones are taking a step forward (Palm, Apple, Nokia, RIM), HTC is going sideways. Windows Mobile 6.1 and 6.5 are depressing next to these new innovations.
How does the TP Vs TP2 compare to XP/Vista? Oh yeah, you can’t run TF3D on the TP2 without running it in “compatibility mode.” Also if it isn’t “TP2 Certified” you won’t be able to run it. Oh! And it needs 2 x the hardware to run the OS…
Sorry dude, but this article stinks. I think you get that anyways from all the comments
Anyhow, my question is, wtf does running linux in your pocket do for you?
If I ran GhettoBSD in my pocket, you know what it would do? Fook all! That’s what! Am I going to run BIND or qmail? What about SSH to myself to access the net? That’s what running tunnels from work is for…
Seriously, the advantage of a PocketPC (M$ Windows) is compatibility with the majority of computers you come across day-to-day. That’s why I have it. My work environment is a dedicated M$ company. So you know what GBSD would do? NOTHING.
Seriously this entry sucks!!#! And BTW, I had the original Palm Pilot and the later Kyocera QCP 6035 – i loved palm back in the day, but compared to what we have going for wm, like our awesome chefs at ppc kitchens and geeks as well as developers @ xda forums, wtf would I want to go to palm? Might as well go over crapple because they have thousands of developers and “an app for that.” You can’t be that, cause crapple said it!
I meant the differences between the TP/TP2 are similar to the main changes made between XP/Vista – little to no performance enhancements with an emphasis on looks. A better comparison would be the whole Left 4 Dead vs Left 4 Dead 2 game, where people are complaining that Left 4 Dead 2 does not have enough new features to warrant a completely new release. They added a few things to the TP2, but really, is it worth over $600?
Sorry, but your reading comprehension needs some work. The article basically says that if you have a TP, then why would you pay over $600 for the TP2? Seeing as anyone who has a TP bought with a contract renewal discount, will not be eligible for even the 1-year discount once the TP2 is released (if its released this summer). That means the TP2 will cost over $600 (seeing as the TP easily ran over that price at release) to buy outright.
What does running Linux do? Are you serious? You’re affiliated with GhettoBSD and you don’t know what root access to a Linux device means? Tell me what phone is out there that allows complete access to the OS? Maybe the G1, but other than that, NONE. The fact that it runs Linux means that many, many Linux apps can be ported quite easily, amongst other things. But hey, you’re one of the main guys heading up GhettoBSD right; why am I telling you something that you should already know?
Hell, right now, with no SDK, I’m running a DynDNS client and an SSH server. One thing I can do is remotely nuke my phone if I wish. But don’t take my word for it, these 1700+ apps can accomplish a lot more with NO SDK (.NET framework for WM). You can’t even begin to come close to that with WM. No .NET = can’t do squat.
Different OSes have different uses; if your work relies on MS products and you need a WM phone, then fine, whatever. What does that have to do with this article? I’m not comparing OSes, I’m comparing phones.
WM chefs don’t get direct access to the OS. All they get are .NET framework, which in turn is used to talk to the OS. On the other hand, WebOS allows complete, unrestricted access to the OS. Anything, and I mean anything, can be programmed, not just what’s limited by the OS as in WM.
the touch 2 is going to have windows 6.5 installed
I meant the differences between the TP/TP2 are similar to the main changes made between XP/Vista – little to no performance enhancements with an emphasis on looks.
That’s BS as well. Vista is way faster in disk reading, calculating and 3D performance. Only Con for Vista is the enormous amount of RAM it uses. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a better system.
You should really have riyf hands at the TP and TP2. I’ve got both, and the TP2 is waaay better than the TP. You have no right to pull any conclusions.
What you say is just the same as saying a VW Golf of 1994 is as good as one of 2008: it has 4 cylinders, around 90HP and 4 wheels.
You can have your opinion of course, but without having actually touched the phone IRL, takes away all your credibility.
You say its waaay better, care to explain how? How is the same hardware and software waaay better or faster when it has even more to redraw on the screen?
That’s why lots of gamers only run XP. What do you mean by “calculating”? There are lots of calculations . . . You quoted me saying little to no performance enhancements. Those three you pointed out are but a fraction of what makes up an OS, hence me saying little to none.
There is the TouchFlo3D, the way sexier look, the way nicer format, the way more solid design, the way better and clearer screen, it’s more responsive than the Touch Pro, the sound is way better, the camera is faster and better, you have the Straight Talk option, Google Earth works way better (more responsive, faster load times, better GPS functionality).
Hardware isn’t the only thing making a smartphone work. Design and software have improved very much. Scrolling works way more smooth, you have the zoom bar which works perfectly, the interface is way nicer and easier. Sound settings are better accessible.
Now, this altogether make the TP2 way nicer to work with than the TP. I have had the TP for a year, now I have the TP2 for 3 weeks. I believe I;m in the position to make a credible statement on the comparison between both, and believe me: the TP2 is definately worth the upgrade.
Read this review, also showing some benchmarks where you see the TP2 is actually faster to waaaay faster than the TP.
http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=1139&p=4
OVERALL IMPRESSION
This is the best Windows Mobile phone that money can buy IF you need a hardware keyboard. If you don’t need a keyboard, then the Touch HD or Diamond2 may be a better fit, or heck, the Omnia may even do the trick for you. But if you want the most robust set of features, wireless radios, design cues, and new technologies (like Straight Talk), then the Touch Pro2 is a hands down winner, especially for the business user who needs something super-capable. My biggest concern is with the battery life, but if you plan on charging your device on a daily basis and you know how to practice good battery conservation techniques, this shouldn’t be a problem.
SPB Benchmark Index – about 28% faster, but how was that calculated?
File System Index – 10.5% faster than TP
CPU Index – a little over 5% faster
File system index benchmarks probably measures read/writes etc.
CPU benchmark does intensive calculations.
But what does the SPB Benchmark index do? The other two tests are more straight forward measuring things that say, a packed ROM, would not interfere with.
Besides the benchmark index, a 10.5% increase in the file system index and 5% increase in CPU index is by no means “waaay” faster. My point still stands, the TP2 doesn’t really have anything in the way of performance vs the TP. If anything, it’s not worth the $600+ people would have to pay, if they bought the TP1 with a contract renewal. Reasoning is, if you bought the TP with a contract renewal discount, you won’t be eligible for even a 1 year discount when the TP2 is released in the States, meaning you’ll have to dish out over $600.
Most of the things you point out are features its here and there. Like the camera being faster and “better”; one could easily say the TP2′s camera sucks because it has no flash. Straight Talk option – how important is this to the overall function of the OS/phone? Not very. Google Earth working “waaay” better? That’s nice, but not a core component of the phone. See where I’m going? No core enhancements. If you want to argue about features, which it looks like you are, then I should mention the cons from the review you posted:
* Battery life could be better
* Screen doesn’t tilt as much as TyTN II
* No flash on camera makes for poor low light shots
* No 3.5mm headphone jack or converter included
* microSD slot is under battery cover
* No hardware button for camera
* Inbuilt video player is limited
* No cable included for TV-Out
* Stylus is no magnetic
* Expensive (unsubsidized)
TF3D isn’t new and most of the things you point out are little UI enhancements. Overall, the underlying OS and functions are the same and it doesn’t even come with the upgrade to WM6.5.
Well, the cons you mention aren’t core enhancements either.
Second to that, talking about ‘core enhancements’, of a phone, why are you looking for a smartphone then? In this kind of thinking, there hasn’t been good innovation since the Nokia 3310.
You can try to make the benchmarks looking of no importance, they prove the point of what I’m saying: it’s faster, more responsive and smoother than the TP is. That was one of the critical points of the Tp: it’s slow and stuttery performance. This is in my view a core component of a modern phone: It has to be responsive, fast and fluent. And that is exactly what the TP2 has, and the TP hasn’t.
Hi guys, I just thought I’d add my two cents…
from my own personal experience I’ve owned an HTC phone since the early XDA’s from O2 and the TP2 is probably the best phone I’ve owned, I was very slightly disappointed when I bought the TYTN II which I had great hopes for, my only drawback was the video playback quality which was awful and deserved so much better, this made me skip the first TP as I didnt want my fingers burnt twice, this time I decided the TP2 could handle it based on the graphic quality of the screen size and the new TF3D interface and I was right.
There is only one drawback to this phone… the lack of a D-Pad.. but I’ve quickly learnt to do without it.
In short this phone has an almost perfect form factor, complimented by the software written for it and useable from wm6 noobs to tech head geeks alike.
I am buying the TP2 for 3G from T-Mobile
how do u own a tp2 if its not even out yet?
its out in the uk, you can buy it on ebay too
it is worth the upgrade, especially if you put any weight on a 3.5mm jack. MobileSyrup is reporting that the CDMA Touch Pro2 devices will in fact feature a 3.5mm jack.
stupid
everything depends from what you need
i need more luxury and beaty so I prefer pro 2
toich pro is yesterday…