HTC Touch HD photos

Back in October, HTC broke the news that it would not bring the HTC Touch HD smartphone to the United States. However, you can still purchase the device unlocked...for a pricey $700.

The main highlight of the HTC Touch HD is its spacious 3.8-inch, WVGA (480x800 pixels) touch screen. The spacious display makes it great for viewing messages, documents, Web pages, and images. In addition, the sharp resolution makes text and photos look extra-sharp.

The Touch HD's display is larger than other touch-screen smartphones, including the Samsung Omnia (pictured here), Apple iPhone, and BlackBerry Storm. The extra tenths of an inch definitely make a difference, but admittedly, we missed the multitouch capabilities of the iPhone, especially when viewing Web pages.

Like the company's other Touch series devices, the Touch HD features HTC's TouchFlo 3D interface. The UI consists of a toolbar along the bottom of the display with various tabs that give you quick access to applications and information. You can also navigate pages and lists with various finger swipes and flicks.

Though you'll use the touch screen for most actions, there are several controls below the display, including Talk and End keys, a Home shortcut, and a back button. Each of the keys also provides tactile feedback when you touch it.

Given the bigger screen size, the HTC Touch HD is a bit of a bulky device. The handset measures 4.3 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick and weighs 5.1 ounces, so it won't make the most comfortable fit in a pants pocket.

On back, you'll find the Touch HD's camera and speaker. The smartphone also has a soft-touch finish to give it a nice, grippy texture.

Behind the battery cover, you'll find the SIM card holder and microSD expansion slot. As an unlocked quad-band GSM phone, you'll be able to use the Touch HD with an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card here in the United States. Unfortunately, the phone doesn't support either of the carrier's 3G bands.

Beyond the large display, the HTC Touch HD offers integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The Windows Mobile 6.1 device also comes preloaded with the Opera Mobile Web browser and various multimedia capabilities.

The Touch HD is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities. Other features include auto focus, white balance settings, and panorama mode. One thing we missed, however, was a dedicated capture key on the exterior of the phone.

We weren't terribly impressed with the Touch HD's camera, as it produced hazy and orange-tinted images.