Touch the New HTC Phone on August 12, No Google Voice App for the iPhone

This summer has already seen the release of some very noteworthy handsets, and the latest touchscreen feature handset for work and play will arrive mid next month. T-Mobile USA and HTC Corp. have confirmed that the HTC Touch Pro2 will be released for the carrier's customers beginning August 12.

The Touch Pro2 will take advantage of T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, as well as Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) to provide fast data delivery and to ensure that the mobile Web experience is everything and more. The handset, which features a customized version of Windows Mobile 6.1, includes built-in GPS and location-based services, making this an ideal feature phone for the business traveler. It also offers a 3.6-inch color WVGA touchscreen that can be positioned for browsing the Web, along with a full QWERTY keyboard to make it a snap for sending of IM and e-mail.

Other notable features:

• 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus
• Straight Talk technology with integrated e-mail, voice and speakerphone option
• Asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression
• TouchFLO 3D interface
• Access to Microsoft Voice Command for making phone calls, playing music and starting programs, as well as getting calendar information
• Stereo Bluetooth

The HTC Touch Pro2 will be available next month at T-Mobile retail stores, with pricing to be announced.

Location, Location, Location
As the subhead suggestions, today it is all about location, and this isn't limited to real estate. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that GPS smartphones should see rapid growth this year. Research firm Strategy Analytics released a report, which predicts that GPS-enabled handsets could increase by about 34 percent to some 77 million units.

And as Strategy Analytics confirms, consumers are of course more comfortable with standalone GPS devices, as well as those in cars. This, along with the plethora of new apps that utilize GPS, has further published developers of the handsets to include the functionality.

For business travelers, being armed with a GPS smartphone relieves some of the worry of being a stranger in a strange place. The devices of course, give you mapping, allow you to find nearby locations and points of interest, and can help ensure that you arrive where you need to be, when you need to be there.
 
And for the most part this is all a very good thing. No one wants to show up at a meeting sweaty, tired and worst of all late. But one concern I have as a frequent traveler is that GPS devices take some of the exploration out of the equation. As I've mentioned over the last year, I know many users who are so tied to their GPS that they'll follow it, even if they know where they are going.

Last year, in the car with my 50-something uncle, he actually said, "I don't normally go this way, but the GPS says so." I laughed when the GPS unit in the car failed to alert that there was major construction ahead, and wasn't able to offer a detour route, which my uncle should have known about in advance.

Because I have a good memory and find myself in distant cities a lot, a look at a paper map often allows me to see where I'm going, and I can even get a good sense of how long the trip might take. If I know where I'm going I take different streets, and essentially "explore" along the way. I've found interesting shops, places to eat and basically took in the sights. Few GPS apps offer this, and the "points-of-interest" are either those that everyone should know about, or are included because a company paid a fee to be included.

This isn't to say that GPS smartphones are a bad thing. But when talking a drive back from a meeting, or walking around a new city (when you have a few extra minutes), don't let the GPS phone be smarter than you. 

No Google Voice App for the iPhone
This week, Apple rejected the Google Voice Application for the iPhone. The official reason from the iPhone maker is that the application, which was being released by invite-only, duplicates features already on the phone. This could be just one of the latest mobile showdowns looming.

The Google Voice is an interesting application that some carriers aren't going to like. In the case of the iPhone, its carrier AT&T probably wouldn't be too happy to see Apple get behind Google Voice. The app uses the traditional phone channel, but basically routes all the calls through a single number, and in this way provides a more affordable option for overseas calls, text translations of voicemail and even phone recording and free text messaging. In other words, this app strikes at the core of AT&T's business model.

This isn't the first app that AT&T has likely put pressure to see pulled from the Apple App Store. And across the blogosphere and in various forums, consumers and iPhone users are already crying foul. But for a carrier, its core business model is at stake, and this could be a problem.

There have already been calls for regulations on these types of services. So it will be very interesting is to see how federal regulars feel about this, and frankly this could fall out in a few ways. Google has come into the spotlight for being too anti-competitive, and this latest services could be too much. Of course, regulars already feel that the sweetheart deals between phone makers and carriers is too close.

The bottom line is that someone is going to come away unhappy. The problem is that no matter which company or companies win, the consumers and small businesses will probably still lose.