HTC Touch Pro

The other issue with the Touch Pro is cost. Without a contract this phone is extremely expensive at £429 (exc VAT). This means that, even when the networks take it on, it'll be available for free only on expensive tariffs, and is likely to cost more than £100 on more reasonable monthly contracts.

HTC's Touch Pro is clearly a highly capable smartphone. It has a brilliant keyboard, screen, web browser and all the features you could possibly want. It's lovely to use and an effective pocket computing and communications device. And the keyboard is the best we've come across on any Windows Mobile smartphone. In fact if a Windows Mobile device is what you want, you'll not get much better than this.

But cast your net wider than Windows Mobile and it starts to look a little less attractive - its battery, in particular, is weak and its price is very high. It may be a better phone than the Diamond, but it still isn't quite good enough to overhaul Nokia's E71 or the BlackBerry Bold.

Author: Jonathan Bray