Despite its flaws the Touch still impresses. If you are a committed Windows Mobile user looking for something more pocket-sized, unimpressed by the LG Prada phone's cynical branding, or cannot bear to wait until Apple's baby reaches these shores, this may be the phone for you. But an iPhone it is not.
NT$15,900; Stores nationwide; Available now
Taiwan's other contenders:
Glofiish X800
Cell phones are packing more and more equipment into ever-smaller packages. The Glofiish X800 is a case in point, and loads GPS (unlike the iPhone) and WiFi into its flashy looking exterior. The name is strange, but the design and engineering seem solid - it won the Best of Computex award this year.
NT$27,000; Available fall 2007
Asus P525
The Asus P525 employs a combination of a standard keypad with a touch screen, and looks rather similar to the Sony Ericsson P990i. It is aimed at the serious business user, and as a result looks pretty dull and grey. If you are going to have a keyboard at the base of the screen, you may as well have a bigger one, in the style of a Treo or Blackberry.
NT$16,900; PDA King; Available now
Dopod C800
Many people remain unconvinced that a touch screen for keyboard-intensive tasks, such as sending e-mail on the move, will work well. HTC have a number of models that slide open to reveal a generously big thumb keyboard but that are still small enough to slide into the pocket. The Dopod line is likely to get sidelined as the company shifts its focus to the Touch, so good deals may be available for this already established product in the future.
NT$19,999; Sogi.com; Available now
-- Jonathan Biddle is head of industrial design at DEM Inc, Taipei
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