HTC TyTN Pro PDA / 3G/UMTS Mobile Phone

Tested hardware and software

The unit reviewed is a storebought HTC TyTN Pro. A 2Gb Micro-SD memorycard was added as external memory, and the Danish TDC/Telmore UMTS 3G/UMTS net was used with a Telmore account.

The Basics

The HTC TyTN Pro has a 240x320 pixel screensize, a slideout QWERTY keyboard, a 2Mpixel camera, 802.11G or 54Mbit Wireless, Bluetooth, a GSM and a UMTS mobile phone. External access to the unit is through a mini-USB jack. External memory can be added as Micro-SD/transflash memory cards. The Counterpath X-PRO VoIP softphone and Navigon Mobile Navigator 5 was installed. A cradle was bought, as this does not come with the TyTN. An extra battery was added.

Pros

This is the ultimate mobile communication platform. WiFi, UMTS, GSM, Bluetooth, Irda, USB, it's all there. There is a dedicated modem function to setup a 3g data connection via the USB cable to eg. a laptop.

Power comes to the unit through the USB interface. This means that you can plug a USB cable into any pc or laptop and get your unit recharged or powered. After a while you wonder why there is a travel charger in the package in the first place?

The hardware QWERTY keyboard is a great thing. You need to get used to the somewhat ususual way of typing numbers, and many of the more unusual characters take 2 keypresses to write, but the learning curve is overseeable. When the keyboard slides out, the screen picture turns 90 degrees to accomodate the changed mode of use.

When a Micro-SD/transflash memorycard is added, the built-in camera asks you if you want to store your photos on the memory card. This is a good way to avoid filling up the unit RAM and increases the photo capacity greatly.

Cons

The one thing missing compared to iPaq PDA's is what HP calls iPaq file storage - a static RAM area in which you can install additional programs and put data which do not get deleted if your unit runs out of power. You need to backup the TyTN through Activesync at least every time you change your program configuration.

The keylock function is not good enough. It has happened that the phone suddenly dials the last called number on it s own, because of an unfortunate key press during transport.

When HTC decided to build a feature packed unit like the TyTN, why did they omit GPS?

There was no cradle with the TyTN. I've bought one through Expansys which has been developed as somewhat of an afterthought, but it's a great addition. You plug the USB cable into the back of the cradle instead of directly into the TyTN, and that's it. The cradle has room for an extra battery which is being charged as well as the TyTN when the power is on.

Experiences

A bit bulky and heavy for a shirt pocket, but fits well in a jacket pocket. I tend to carry it in the included cover, attached to my belt front right.

When you have a PDA with a mobile phone speaker and microphone made to handle speech, and WiFi capability with 54Mbit speed, it would be almost unthinkable not to install a VoIP softphone on the unit and use it for internet telephony. It is strange that the Windows Mobile OS doesn't come with a SIP client of some kind to do this. But adding your own like the Counterpath X-Pro SIP client for internet telephony is relatively simple, and can save you a lot of money in phone costs.

The Navigon Mobile Navigator 5 GPS system works fine on the TyTN, with the entire Europe map loaded on the 2Gb micro-SD/transflash memorycard and access to the Navigon Triciever through Bluetooth. The screen is of the usual 240x320 pixel size for a pda screen, but it is physically smaller than most, and consequently it is harder to hit the onscreen buttons while driving.

Be advised that using a 3g phone outside your own operator network can be extremely expensive, because the added roaming charges can be extreme. I have paid €14,75 or $18.50 per Mb when using 3g/gprs in Berlin in October 2006. Why the EU Commission focuses on mobile call prices and forget about mobile data traffic prices is incomprehensible - data traffic is a heavily exploited area by the network operators. But again, this is not specific to the TyTN but is the case for all 3g phones.

An extra battery was bought, but it's yet to be used. The TyTN is constantly either in the cradle or plugged into the car power when driving or the laptop when travelling, so it's never really on its own power, except for in-town walks and when talking in it. The longest I've had it away from external power was over a weekend, and it didn't run out of power for that duration.

Conclusion

When it comes to features, this unit has it all. The only thing you might want added would be a SIRF III GPS chip and antenna to add satellite navigation to complete the package, but communicationwize it's complete. Recommendable for SMB use.

Being written by Hans-Henrik T. Ohlsen
Last update January 15, 2007