The HTC Touch Viva is a trimmed down smartphone model. Measuring only 105 x 59 x 16 mm and weighing only 110 g, Viva is small and lightweight for those who want a smartphone but can’t carry around a miniature pc that feels like a brick in your pocket.
Besides the size of Viva, other positive aspects of it include its simplicity and speed. It has the same Windows Mobile 6.1 operating systems as other HTC phones, but without GPS and 3G the interface is quite fast, possibly one of the fastest Windows mobile phones.
Touch FLO makes the 2.8 inch screen very finger-friendly despite its size. Viva is great for emailing and MMS messaging or sending photos or clips. It uses Opera Mobile 9.5 as a web browser and is very user friendly.
In addition, Viva has a 2.0 MP camera and 128 MB of memory space which is adequate for daily tasks. The phone also comes with a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that allows a talk time of approximately 8 hours and a standby time of 270 hours
On the downside, because Viva is smaller and more compact it lacks some features that high end smartphones have. The lack of 3G makes downloading information or video difficult, so if downloading is important to you, I’d go with a phone that includes 3G. Another frequently mentioned negative about nearly all of HTC’s smartphone is that it doesn’t come with a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Viva is no exception. It has a special USB hub for headphones, which forces you to use the headphones it comes with and they aren’t that good.
HTC Touch Viva is a good option for those who want a simple compact smartphone for daily email use and simple functions. Those looking for a high-end smartphone will disappointed with the lack of features and downloading speed.
