Battle of the Slide & Tilt: Touch Pro2 v. Nokia N97

The tilting display is back, and with good reason as it offers the device a lot of versatility--large front screen, the ability to slide and have a full QWERTY keyboard that is a bit bigger than the candybar keyboard on the Samsung Jack, and glare minimization with the ease of tilting the screen for the best viewing angle. We've preliminarily examined the the candybar QWERTY lineup in our fight for the best, and now we're going to look at the Touch Pro2 with its specs sheet against the Nokia S60 competitor the N97, which also has a sliding and tilting screen.

We'll rate the devices in several broad categories, with a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score.

For a full specs comparison, be sure to see the comparison listing on PDAdb.net.

Read on to find our preliminary, pre-hands-on examinations of the specs.

Design: Both devices offer a great form factor with the tilt and slide screen. Nokia has offered solid, durable devices which survives a beating, but from the preliminary video of the tilting mechanism, it seems like a lot of plastic and a lot of pressure on some nimble plastic hinges. Let's hope Nokia proves us wrong and offers a solid design again. Here, the advantage will go to the HTC Touch Pro2, utilizing a second-generation tilting mechanism that was first mastered on the QVGA TyTN II--also sold as an AT&T device by the name of the AT&T Tilt, a fitting name given the design. However, let's face it though, Nokia's N97 is a sleeker looking touchscreen package that's geared towards consumers with great video and audio capture compared to HTC's mega speakerphone version geared at the suits in corporate settings.

Nokia N97: 4--due to plastic, small hinges that may not be as durable
HTC Touch Pro2: 4.5--hopefully HTC will perfect a solid Tilt design in an attractive package given the second generation device

Application Compatibility: To be fair, Nokias have better support for Java-based gaming titles, bringing more titles even if native titles are lacking. As Nokia experiments with different input mechanism, this being their second foray into the touchscreen world after the 5800 Tube handset, Nokia is placing some pressure on developers to design for different inputs, resolutions, and now, portrait and landscape formats. Windows Mobile handsets have traditionally been made for different resolutions and the WVGA resolution screen of the Touch Pro2 will be no different. The challenge here is that there will be no directional pad, scroll wheel, or trackball to navigate, placing all the navigation on the screen and the keyboard. It's a tough call on this one as the hardware is placing pressure on software developers to catch up. Innovations in hardware like accelerometers and sensors also create disparity in the marketplace with no common APIs yet on the Windows Mobile front and HTC is paving the way for more ways for us to interact with our devices. When the Touch Pro2 gets upgraded to Windows Mobile 6.5, widget support will come, which will make it even with the Nokia N97. I call it a tie for now until the software catches up and we can call a winner.

Nokia N97: 4--odd resolution, older titles may not work although the device has great Java support.
HTC Touch Pro2: 4--excellent Windows Mobile support for legacy title though marred with lack of common APIs for sensors; users forced into an all-touch interface with no directional pad.

Screen Resolution: If you thought VGA was gorgeous on the original Touch Pro, the wide viewing angle of the Touch Pro2 will make browsing, document viewing, and Excel editing a pleasure! Both the Nokia N97 and the Touch Pro2 from HTC have wide display touchscreens, but the HTC handset beats out the Nokia in terms of resolution. The HTC supports 800 X 480 pixels on a 3.6-inch display while Nokia's 3.5-inch touchscreen comes in at a paltry 640 X 360. We'll have to wait to see how both units perform under direct sunlight as that will be test since both will offer GPS support for navigation. For now, HTC wins the category for higher-resolution display.

Nokia N97: 4
HTC Touch Pro2: 5--higher resolution display

Connectivity, Input Mechanism, and Ports: Both devices offer a lot of connectivity options from GPS, 3G, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The Nokia edges out here with support for that needed 3.5 mm headphone jack that has been long neglected on phones. HTC's standardization on mini USB is a win, though you'll need a multi-port adapter if you want to either charge or synchronize and listen to music via headphones at the same time, unless you go the stereo Bluetooth route. We'll see if Nokia's wisen up a little and allow for charging through micro USB this time--on the Nokia E71/x, micro USB is used only for synchronization, which is really too bad.

Nokia N97: 4
HTC Touch Pro2: 4

Pricing: For our price sensitive consumers in this tough economy, the HTC handset will be a bit cheaper if you get it through your carrier with a two-year (or 3-year in some countries) service agreement. With wider availability and lower prices due to carrier subsidization, it'd be hard for Nokia to gain some foothold into the American market. That said, Nokia's been aggressive with the American market, offering discounts and promotions on its handsets, making the N97 relatively more affordable if you're looking for an unlocked handset. Because the Touch Pro2 is found with many carriers, it is easier for consumers to come and test drive. Nokia only operates a few flagship stores (Chicago and NYC in the USA) so you won't know if you like the screen, the user interface, or the phone in general until after the FedEx truck drops off your package and your credit card has been charged.

Nokia N97: 4--we give credit to Nokia for really trying to gain American marketshare again.
HTC Touch Pro2: 5--wide availability and lower prices for those willing to sign a contract will make it an easy purchase.

Keyboard: As much as I love Nokia's design, they need to do more user testing on their keyboards. You can read my gripes with the Nokia E71 keyboard in the QWERTY battle. The staggered, more natural keyboard on the Touch Pro2 keyboard will offer a more laptop-like keyboard experience with the right finger travel, just miniaturized. With the N97, Nokia's placed all the keys aligned. Moreover, the awkwardly placed directional pad on the left side of the keyboard (there are more right-handed people than left) means that you'd be reaching further to type with your left hand to reach the QAZ keys and beyond if you are gripping the phone on the sides. That is, unless you want to type awkwardly and hold the phone by the bottom.

Nokia N97: 3.5
HTC Touch Pro2: 5

Value: Both handsets are comparable in value and it comes down to software, OS, and styling. You'd get a great navigation companion with GPS, be able to browse the web with decent browsers or third-party browsers on both, and enjoy a multitude of third-party applications and entertainment titles.

Here's our overall average:

Nokia N97: 3.92
HTC Touch Pro2: 4.58

Be sure to check with pocketnow for our upcoming full review of the Touch Pro2. The above evaluation of the devices is based upon early specs and assumptions; our hands-on review will give readers a better view of the better device for them.

You can also see our SizeEasy comparison below on how the devices stack up against each other.

Update: A reader also pointed out that the Nokia N97 has a track wheel or scroll wheel on the side.