Touch and Type smartphones on the shelves

The concept of touch and type has been around for a while, but only recently has this trend really caught on, thanks to smartphones like the E6 and the HTC ChaCha. This segment of mobiles offer the best of both worlds and come in various price segments. Let’s have a look at some of the worthy touch and type smartphones available in the market today.

Motorola Charm - Rs.7,000
The Charm may be cheap, but that doesn’t mean it skimps on features. It has everything from 3G, Wi-Fi ‘n’, a 3MP shooter and a reasonably sized 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen. It may be running an older version of Android, but you still get full app support through the marketplace.

Below are some of the highlights of the phone:

Charming little fellow

• 2.8-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 320x 240 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 3.1 megapixel camera

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Motorola Flipout - Rs.8,500
The Flipout is very similar to the Charm in terms of features and specifications, except for the keypad, which can fold behind the screen, hence the name. If you’re looking for something more compact and stylish, then this is a good fit.

Some details of the phone include:

Funky and cool

• 2.8-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 320x 240 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 3.1 megapixel camera

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

HTC ChaCha - Rs.15,000
The ChaCha is HTC’s first foray into QWERTY touch and type and what an entry, indeed. The device is built well, has a very good screen and the Facebook integration is smartly done making it very functional, rather than gimmicky. Apart from the slightly high price, we didn’t find anything wrong with it.

Some features include:

Good FB integration

• 2.6-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 480x320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Samsung Galaxy Pro - Rs. 8,500
Similarly equipped as the Motorola Charm, the Galaxy Pro comes with Froyo and is a lot lighter. The form factor makes it quite convenient to operate and the interface is quick thanks to the 800MHz processor. It has full 3G and Wi-Fi ‘n’ support, as well.

Here are some of the highlights of the phone:

Light-weight and cheap

• 2.8-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 320x240 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 3.15 megapixel camera with autofocus

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Samsung Galaxy 551 - Rs.9,200
If you are looking for an Android touch and type with a large screen under 10K, then your best best is the Galaxy 551. Armed with a 3.2-inch screen and a slide-out QWERTY keypad, it’s the perfect phone for the texting enthusiast. It’s feature packed as well, with all the important features one would need today.

Check the highlights below:

Sturdy and well-built

• 3.2-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 400x240 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 3.15 megapixel camera with autofocus

• Stereo FM radio with RDS
  Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Nokia E6 - Rs.15,600
Continuing the legacy of the E71 and E72, Nokia’s E6 created a big splash when it launched a few months back. Packing in some of the latest hardware and software, the phone is perfect for business users and corporates alike. It’s not all work and no play for the E6, the phone can easily handle 720p videos in a variety of formats, all out of the box.

Here are some of its strong points:

High-end features at an affordable price

• 2.46-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 640x480 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 8 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, 720p video recording

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Nokia X3-02 - Rs. 7,800
The X3-02 may not be as sophisticated as the E6, but it gets the job done. The cheaper price tag doesn’t mean it’s completely stripped off its features. It still supports 3G, Wi-Fi ‘n’, USB On-the-go, 5 MP camera and has Facebook and Twitter built-in.

The following as some of its features:

Gets the job done

• 2.4-inch resistive touchscreen with 240x320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel camera

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Nokia C3-01 - Rs. 8,000
Looking for something more stylish and durable? How about the C3-01. Other than the keypad, the entire body has a metal finish which not only makes it look expensive, but it’s a lot more durable.

Features are similar to the X3-02, which include:

Simple, yet stylish

• 2.4-inch resistive touchscreen with 240x320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel camera with LED flash

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Nokia E7 - Rs. 25,500
The E7 takes all the goodness of the N8 and throws in one of the best slide-out QWERTY keypads we’ve seen till date. Right from the design of the phone, all the way to the materials used - it simply exudes style and sophistication. It packs in every feature one could ask for in a business phone and with its upgrade to Symbian Anna due any time now, it’s only going to get better.

Here are some of the highlights of the phone:

For the businessman

• 4.0-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 360x640 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 8 megapixel fixed focus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

BlackBerry Bold 9900 - Rs. 32,490
Looking for the ultimate BB experience? Then look no further, the Bold 9900 is RIM’s latest and greatest offering which combines the best of what BB has to offer along with a really good touchscreen. Backed by a powerful 1.2GHz processor and their latest OS 7.0, it’s the very best RIM has to offer right now.

Below are some of the highlights of the device:

RIM’s flagship offering

• 2.8-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 640x480 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel fixed focus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

BlackBerry Torch 9810 - Rs. 29,990

Designed around its predecessor, the new BB Torch 9810 is very similar in terms of design and features. Some new additions include a new paint job, speedier internals and RIM’s latest OS 7.0. The phone performs really well and the only real competition is their own Bold 9900, which strangely is more expensive.

The following are some of the main features of the Torch:

Now, faster than before

• 3.2-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 640x480 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro (SK17i) - Rs.15,400
Previously known as the X10 Mini Pro, this little droid has been updated with better hardware and software to keep up with the changing times. It now comes with a larger screen and Sony Ericsson’s BRAVIA engine driving the display. It’s also powered by a 1GHz processor and features Wi-Fi ‘n’, DLNA and 720p video capture.

The following are some of the highlights:

Back in black

• 3.0-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 320x480 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Dell Venue Pro - Rs. 23,999
Dell’s Venue Pro gives you all the advantages of a large touchscreen and the comfort of a physical keypad. The AMOLED touchscreen produces some of the best black levels which is great when watching videos. Powered by Windows Phone 7, the interface is slick and intuitive and with integrated Xbox LIVE support and Office support, it’s good for work or play.

Some of its main features include:

Best of both worlds

• 4.1-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 800x480 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card

• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

That’s all for now folks, we hope this list has given you a clearer idea of what to choose from.