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