U.S. Version of HTC Touch Dual Now Available

A new version of the popular HTC Touch smartphone with a sliding keyboard has been released in the United States. Although this model has been around for a while in Europe, the version that has just launched is the first with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.

While the older version of the Touch Dual was designed for overseas networks, the U.S. edition includes quad-band GSM/EDGE, and dual-band HSDPA for North America. It is unlocked, and can therefore be used with any GSM carrier, like AT&T or T-Mobile.

HTC Touch Plus More

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Although at first glance this model is very similar to the HTC Touch being offered by Sprint and others, the Touch Dual has something its predecessor doesn't: a 20-key slide-out keyboard for text input and dialing.

In addition, this version includes a two cameras, a 2 megapixel one for taking pictures, and a smaller forward-looking one for video conferencing.

Like all Touch models, it has HTC's TouchFLO custom interface, which allows users to perform many common tasks on the QVGA touchscreen with their fingertips.

Other features include Bluetooth and a microSD card slot.

It is 4.2 inches tall, 2.2 inches wide, and 0.6 inches thick, and it weighs 4.2 ounces.

Pricing and Availability

The HTC Touch Dual is available now on the Best Buy website.

Because it is being sold unlocked, rather than through a wireless service provider, there is no subsidy. This why it costs $550, significantly more than the keyboard-less versions being sold by Sprint, Verizon, etc..

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