Verizon picks up HTC Touch

by Joe P on January 21, 2008

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It seemed odd that Verizon picked up the HTC SMT5800 a few weeks ago, while the rest of the CDMA world was jumping in on the Touch. One reason, I suppose, is that Verizon was able to brand the SMT5800 as Verizon Wireless, rather than HTC. The second, I thought at the time, was that they already have the LG Voyager, which serves are their “iPhone killer.” The Touch was more necessary for Sprint and for Alltel, since they don’t have the Voyager, or really any phone that nearly measures up to the iPhone. However, Verizon appears to be taking a divide an conquer approach to handsets, as they have announced that they, too, will carry the Touch.

It’s the same deal as the model Alltel and Sprint are offering. Windows Mobile 6, though Version 7 should be out in the near future. TouchFLO user interface, and yes, no mechanical keyboard.

This one, though, will reportedly be a bit thinner than its competitors on other services. It might not sound like much, but it certainly gives Verizon a marginal advantage with the Touch.

All in all, it gives Verizon two heavy competitors to the iPhone. Yet, they’re still at a disadvantage because 1) the iPhone was first to the market and 2) they can’t match the hype from Apple. So they’re not marketing to people’s emotions, which to me means that they won’t have many people switching to them for either the Touch or the Voyager. However, they might be able to retain more of their customers now that they have these devices available.

It’s set to launch in March, though no specific date, nor a price, was made available.

[CrunchGear] via [Mobile Magazine]

Filed under : Cell Phones