14 DAY TRIAL // Announced under the HTC brand, the new TyTN Pocket PC continues to amaze the customers that managed to get their hands on this one, even after two months from its market release. The device started to leak its technical specifications on the Internet under the Qtek 9600 name. Fortunately, the final product is not only a different model, but a much better one. I'm not sure if I can say that Qtek S200 is its rightful predecessor. HTC invaded the handheld market with a wide range of products, each of these products having a strict target. That leaves a big gap between Qtek S200 and HTC's TyTN. No questions about it, it's like TyTN was produced by another company or there are at least another 2-3 models between the two. The Asian company has put only the latest technology available on the handheld market in its TyTN product. If you are to buy the device, there's no doubt that you'll use it at least 2-3 years without the need to change it. By checking the device and by seeing how fast the new technologies appear, I strongly believe that the device won't become obsolete not even after 5 years of use, but who knows what HTC might prepare for us?
Design
First of all, I'd like to point out that this device is no different than the latest Qtek models when it comes to its form. So, if you don't like big, bulky devices, I suggest you don't buy this one. Anyway, TyTN's measures are 113 x 58 x 22 mm and it weighs about 176 grams, including its battery. Great pocketsize design, cool finishes, fits and feels great touching and holding it in your hand. Like other Qtek models, the TyTN has a slide out QWERTY keyboard, smaller, but with wider buttons. The keyboard features blue backlight, so users can see all the punctuation and characters accessed with an alt key press even in the darkest areas. The device has a special sensor on the top right of the keyboard that detects if the backlight should turn on or not. Innovation is the word of the day - the jog dial placed on the left side lets users navigate through the menus of the device like they had a mouse. Just bellow the jog-wheel, the device features a small OK button that users can press to perform the selected action, and to also help with navigation. Right beside the OK button is the voice command button. On the bottom of the left side, users can find the extremely small accessible microSD card slot for memory expansion. On the right side, there is the power button that turns off the display with a single press. If you press and hold it, then a dialog box will appear asking if you really want to completely shut down the device, which is a new feature in Windows Mobile Phone Edition devices. Also users can find the Communications Manager button that launches the utility to manage all their various connections on a single display. At the bottom of the right side is the camera button that works great if you rotate the device into landscape camera mode. On the bottom, you can find the infrared port, reset button, battery release switch, microphone hole, mini USB connector, and stylus silo. Good or bad, the fact still remains that the headphones connect into the same mini USB port and have a unique design. Fortunately, the device features A2DP Bluetooth support so users can use wireless Bluetooth headphones. More buttons on the TyTN are the usual 'send' and 'end' green and red button, two keys for the display soft keys, a Start key and an OK button. Finally, at the top of the front is a new button that launches Messaging and Internet Explorer by default. There is also a small VGA video camera used for video calls to the right of this new button. If you remove the back of the TyTN, you will find the 1350 mAh battery and the SIM card slot under the battery. There is also the usual self-portrait mirror, a camera light (blitz?), a speaker, an external antenna connector and macro/normal mode switch for the 2 megapixel camera lens.
Processor and Memory
The HTC TyTN features a 400 Mhz Samsung processor, and includes 64MB of RAM and 128MB of ROM. I knew that this processor is fast, I've tested the device, and it really is. No lags when running 2-3 applications in the background, fast loading, great experience with gaming. The usual amount of memory can be easily expanded up to 2Gb through the very small microSD card slot, so you won't have any problems running any applications you can think of. HTC managed to fit in a really powerful CPU, and even made it work like a charm with its Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system.
Multimedia
The 2.0 megapixel camera included in the device looks much the same as the Qtek's S200 camera. Almost the same quality of the pictures (which is good) and the same macro-mode for taking text pictures. The new thingy introduced by HTC is the light button, which helps (but not much) users to take pictures in darker areas. Other than that, you'll have troubles taking pictures on the move, and I assure you that your outdoor pictures will look better than the indoor ones. Pictures can range between a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels, and a minimum of 160 x 180 pixels resolution. You can also use the camera for shooting clips, which are looking good enough. The TyTN features Polyphonic-40 voices sound, and features support for running MP3 files. Actually, I have used the device as an MP3 player and the experience was quite good. The device offers very good sound and will surely please the music lovers. The device includes an astonishing TFT, 65K colors touchscreen, with handwriting recognition. You'll be amazed by the zippiness of the change from portrait to landscape view.
Communication
The least I can say about this device is that it's the "King of Communications". If you buy this, you'll benefit from the full range of connectivity technologies. Like it's not enough that it's the first 3G PocketPC, the TyTN is also HSDPA compatible, EDGE, GPRS, WiFi, Bluetooth and Infrared (have I missed anything?). Well, this device is a complete "communication solution". I have tested the video call feature and it worked great. The speakerphone starts automatically when it detects a video call, so there's no need to use another button. I have also tested its WiFi connectivity and I had no problems in getting my emails through its integrated Microsoft Outlook email client.
The Good
Different from other Pocket PC's, this device really works. All features included in this Pocket PC are fully functional and at their tops. I'm pretty sure that the device will be most desirable by the business men very soon. It features even more functions than a laptop, and that will surely make him a great success on the marketplace. If I were to distinguish some of its strong points, I wouldn't know where to begin. So, I decided to remark the device as a whole instead. HTC TyTN offers a complete solution for business men on the go and more. The wide range of connectivity technologies, the camera, the processor and even the battery (which is a wonder) are making the device one of the best (if not the best) in its class at the moment.
The Bad
Well, there should be a blank space here. Having been tested for two weeks, the device fared pretty well. There were no technical flaws and no lags when switching to different applications.
Conclusion
If you are a person that needs most of the features that this device is offering, I strongly recommend buying one. Even if its price ranges from $750 to $1,000, it's worth it. The best high-end Pocket PC at this moment, HTC TyTN will not be replaced easily by future models. It is not far from the truth to say that HTC TyTN makes BlackBerry look obsolete. Again, the device is available in Romania thanks to Omnisoft Company. If you are from Romania and want to buy this device (or any other Qtek device) you can check it here. Long live the TyTN !
Standard kit:
Smartphone Charger Wire stereoheadset USB cable for synchronization Replacement stylus Horizontal waist case CD's with software Documentation (Manual and Quick Guide)
Here are some snapshots of the device:
Photo: Tudor Raiciu
