This handset has a slide-out Qwerty keyboard and speedy HSDPA connectivity along with all the bells and whistles that are bound to appeal to the geek in all of us.

AS USUAL, the review unit we got from the local distributor had all the hardware accessories (mini USB sync cable, stereo handsfree, AC adaptor and case) but is missing the bundled software.

However, according to the HTC website, the TyTN II should come bundled with MapKing R12 that works with the internal GPS chipset of the device.

Moving on, the HTC TyTN II is much the same shape as its predecessors with slide out keyboards – the width and height seem okay, but a bit on the thick side.

The device is also pretty heavy because of the huge battery which, on the upside, gives you pretty decent battery life.

However, the TyTN II's most interesting feature has got to be its slide-out keyboard – yes, initially it slides out like most other devices of its ilk, but once the keyboard is in its fully extended position, the TyTN II's screen can be tilted up to face you, kind of like a miniature laptop.

While I wouldn't say this tilting feature makes it easier to type, it is actually quite nice when, for example, you've got it on the table to watch a movie – this way, the screen can be tilted to suit your viewing angle perfectly.

Tough to type

I found the keyboard itself a tad small and tactile feedback a bit poor for really fast thumb typing.

With a little practice you can actually type pretty fast, but for me, certainly not as fast as I can type using T9 input on a regular alphanumeric handphone keypad.

The front of the TyTN II has the usual Windows Mobile buttons – Call, Hangup, Menu, OK and the two software-mapped buttons as well as two additional buttons to launch Internet Explorer Mobile and the Messaging application.

Together with the directional keypad, that's nine buttons in all – pretty packed and a bit difficult to avoid accidentally pressing one of the other buttons occasionally.

There is also a scroll wheel on the left side of the device which is quite useful when you're reading long webpages or documents.

Turn on the device and you'll see the excellent custom Today screen that first appeared in the HTC Touch, with shortcuts to your favourite applications and call lists, in addition to an excellent weather application which downloads the latest reports from the Net.

However, the Today screen of the TyTN II does not come with the extra TouchFlo menus of the HTC Touch, so you don't get that nice 3D cube interface to switch between different screens.

It does come with some of the features of TouchFlo, though – such as the ability to flick to quickly scroll down a webpage or your contact list.

Interestingly, unlike most devices I've seen where your telco's SIM card goes inside a slot hidden in or near the battery compartment, the TyTN II instead has a little slot just behind the screen when you slide open the keyboard.

The SIM slot is clearly labelled, but if you don't slide out the keyboard, you'll spend a few minutes looking for the slot.

Performance

Battery life was very good though because on a single charge, I could use the device easily for two days straight, occasionally surfing the Net, sending loads of SMS messages and of course, making a few calls.

I'd say that if you were a heavy phone user, you'd probably be safer to charge the device every day.

The TyTN II review unit I was provided with did not come with the MapKing software installed, so I didn't have a chance to test this feature.

Strangely enough, the TyTN II does not come with the acclaimed SiRF Star III GPS chipset found on most devices, but instead is built in with a GPS chipset from Qualcomm.

As I didn't test it myself, I can't say how it compares to the SiRF Star III, but from what I've read online about the chipset, performance is pretty close to the SiRF Star III.

On the usability front, the TyTN II performed like any other Windows Mobile Pocket PC device – you get the full suite of Office Mobile applications, i.e. Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word Mobile.

These applications have already been updated on the new Windows Mobile 6 operating system that comes with the TyTN II and now support the latest file formats that have just been introduced in the desktop version of the Microsoft Office suite.

Internet Explorer Mobile still works much like it always has, although my experience with the excellent Safari web browser on the iPod Touch and iPhone has really made it look like a dinosaur in comparison.

Even on my Dell Axim x51v Pocket PC, I generally used the mobile version of Opera, which offered a much better experience than Internet Explorer Mobile.

Conclusion

My only complaints are that the keyboard could have been a bit better and the device itself could be a little thinner.

Is it worth a purchase though? Well, it is feature-packed no doubt, but at RM3,088, I still think it's a tad expensive for all but the most dedicated of mobile warriors, really.

Pros: Feature-packed; interesting tilting screen design

Cons: Built-in Qwerty keyboard could be better.