To know TouchFLO 3D is to know the Touch Pro2s software load, with a couple very important exceptions. First, the myFaves launcher is the default home screen, replacing TouchFLOs ubiquitous clock display; thats going to be a little upsetting to some, especially since we werent able to find a way to get it back. Furthermore, you cant get rid of or even reorder that myFaves tab -- its just permanently stuck there at the far left. To be fair, T-Mobile hasnt barfed its branding all over this ROM, but we wouldve liked a little more control here. (Update: turns out you can actually get to the classic TouchFLO home screen, but you need to go through myFaves settings, not TouchFLO settings -- a little unintuitive, but at least its there. Thanks, Skyler L!)As with other TouchFLO phones, HTC has done what it can to make the Pro2 finger-friendly. Inevitably, its not possible to take that to its rightful conclusion with Windows Mobile 6.1, which is why youve still got that stylus in there -- but theyve done a pretty incredible job. If you can stay within the TouchFLO ecosystem without wandering into stock WinMo -- which is easier to do than every before, wed argue -- you might actually be able to pull it off. Sadly, the phones still held back by a resistive display that has a little too much "give" to the touch; this is especially a problem with scrolling in lists and browsers, where the fingertip occasionally has a tendency to "bounce" across the display and inadvertently trigger a selection action. It happened frequently enough to us to be annoying, but we imagine youd be able to spike the habit with practice.
We found it fascinating that HTC chose to launch Internet Explorer by default when selecting TouchFLOs Internet tab. Wrong choice. The ROM conveniently also includes Opera Mobile, which offers a better experience from beginning to end; in fact, we werent even able to load the full version of engadget.com to completion with Internet Explorer, but Opera worked like a champ (as it usually does). The Touch Pro2s dedicated zoom bar beneath the display really shines here, seamlessly zooming in and out just as smoothly and effectively as an iPhone -- in fact, we even found that we preferred the bar to an iPhone-style pinch gesture in some situations because it makes browsing a more one-handed experience.T-Mobile has taken a hands-off approach with the Touch Pro2s lauded "people-centric" add-ons, too. From a contact, you can see a unified view of emails, messages, and phone calls exchanged with that individual -- we dare you to try that with a stock WinMo device -- and it works exactly as advertised. Heavy business users will also appreciate the magnificent speakerphone, which HTC rightfully made a huge deal of back at its February announcement -- you just flip the phone over to engage it, and youve even got a dedicated mute button around back (see the video to see this in action -- its seriously cool). It works and sounds great, and this is one of the few phones on the market that we could seriously endorse as a conference speakerphone fit for daily duty.
Wrap-up
For T-Mobile customers in the WinMo ecosystem, the Touch Pro2 is a dream come true if for no other reason than the fact that it replaces the ancient Wing, a phone that heroically served the retail lineup well past its prime. Beyond that, though, the Touch Pro2 could very well represent the greatest Windows Mobile device available on an American carrier today -- even original Touch Pro and Fuze owners have good reason to cast an envious eye in the direction of this thing as it hits shelves today. Dont fret, though; carriers love this phone like they love a high ARPU, and regardless of whom you pledge your allegiance and your monthly payment to, odds are very high its coming to a lineup near you within a few weeks time.
