With a number of smartphones running the Windows Mobile OS,HTC is a leading player in the segment. With touch Viva it continues to expand its range. When the HTC touch arrived at our workstation, almost everyone commented about its looks being very similar to the original HTC Touch. However, a major difference is the lack of compatibility with UMTS networks, especially HSDPA (3.5G). Touch Viva is enclosed in a plastic casing with a resistive touchscreen, to avoid scratches Viva's screen is recessed rather than being flush with the phone body. The send, call-end keys and navigation buttons are placed just below the screen. The looks of the phone are average, with no differentiating design elements.

Like most HTC phones there is a stylus provided, although we found the screen pretty responsive to our fIngers. However, you will definitely find yourself using the stylus, as input is much more accurate with it. The message interface is smartly managed, the messaging experience feels good. There is a choice of using the Qwerty or the nonnal keypad.

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Opera 9.5, it lets you view pages in tabs with smart features like zoom in and zoom out of full web pages. HTC Touch Viva doesn't have 3G connectivity, so you need to use EDG E for online connectivity. Wi-Fi connectivity is available, standard 802.11 big. The operating system is Windows Mobile version 6.1, the phone retains all the characteristics which made its predecessor a success.

Multimedia experience is adequate, pictures can be viewed by flicking across the screen. The 2 megapixel camera produces decent images, though with the advent of phone cameras with higher resolution, it may be a little low. A MicroSD card is provided, but it lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you have to stick with the supplied headphones.

There is no quarrel on the perfonnance front, the interface is responsive and fast. Equipped with a 1100 mAh battery, it should, provide up to six hours of talk time. For users looking for an entry level smartphone running Windows mobile on a limited budget, Touch Viva is an interesting choice.