HTC Fuze Mixes Business, Pleasure

When is a business phone not just a business device? When it's the HTC Fuze. This Windows Mobile-based smartphone offers plenty of tools that will help boost your productivity, but it also manages to have some fun, too.

The Fuze is a very attractive phone, with its sleek-looking, shiny black case and a 2.8-inch touch screen. That touch screen is one of the phone's best features: It features a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels, which allows for amazingly crisp and clear graphics.

The phone is compact, measuring 4 inches tall by 2 inches wide by .7 inches thick, but, at 5.8 ounces, it's heavier than your average smartphone. The phone's extra heft is due in part to its hidden QWERTY keyboard, which slides out horizontally from underneath the display. While the hardware keyboard is a nice bonus, this keyboard is not my favorite. Its keys are very flat, with no spacing in between them, which makes typing more difficult.

Making Calls

The Fuze's extra weight is noticeable when you're holding the phone next to your ear during calls, but, overall, I was pleased with the call quality. Voices were loud and, for the most part, clear over AT&T's network.

The Fuze runs Windows Mobile version 6.1, but features HTC's TouchFLO 3D interface. This interface replaces the usual Windows Mobile interface--and that's a good thing. Instead of long lists of text and confusing menus, you see icons that are easily identifiable, and designed to work with the touch screen. And the 3D aspect--which shows icons stacked behind each other--is pretty cool, too. Overall, TouchFLO 3D makes accessing the phone's many features and applications much easier--and it looks good, too.

As a Windows Mobile phone, the Fuze includes a variety of productivity applications, including Microsoft Office Mobile. While the 2.8-inch screen is a little small for document editing, it's still a handy option to have. You also get several other applications installed, including an Internet sharing utility and a business card reader.

The Fuze includes a built-in GPS receiver and is compatible with AT&T Navigator, which will deliver turn-by-turn directions directly to your handset, for an additional fee.

Browsing the Web

The phone supports AT&T's 3G HSDPA network and Wi-Fi wireless networks, so you have options for accessing the Internet at high speeds. It also comes with both a mobile version of Internet Explorer and Opera Mobile, so you have a choice of browsers. Both do a reasonably good job of displaying Web pages, but often default to mobile versions instead of showing the pages as you'd see them on your computer. You can zoom in and out to view sections of Web pages in more detail.

The Fuze is an excellent messaging device. It supports a variety of e-mail services, including Microsoft Exchange Server and BlackBerry Connect. You also can set it up to work with AT&T's Xpress Mail application, and can have it access standard IMAP, POP3, and Web-based e-mail accounts as well. Setup is a snap, and viewing messages using the 3D interface is a pleasure.

Multimedia

Despite its strong business credentials, the Fuze also offers plenty of multimedia features. It includes a mobile version of Windows Media Player, so you can transfer music and video files to the phone and play them back. Audio sounded only okay through the external speaker, and the Fuze lacks a standard headset jack, so you'll need an adapter to connect most headphones. Videos looked great on the high-resolution screen, though.

You also get access to AT&T Music and CV services. AT&T Music lets you purchase songs directly from your handset, and the CV video service offers a collection of video clips and full episodes of TV shows that you can watch on your phone.

All of this functionality doesn't come cheap: The Fuze is available for $350 when you sign a new two-year contract with AT&T. (AT&T is offering a $50 rebate on the phone, but the rebate is not cash; it comes in the form of a promotional card that you can use as a Visa.) You may pay a lot for the Fuze, but you get a lot, too.