Hands on: Toshiba TG01 review

UPDATE: we've now published our full, in-depth Toshiba TG01 review

The Toshiba TG01 will be launched in the UK on 10 July, and we nabbed some time with the handset to see whether it was worth all the fuss being made.

The three important things to note about the TG01 are the fact it has the largest screen in the industry at 4.1 inches, has the fastest processor in the form of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz effort and runs on Windows Mobile 6.1, with an upgrade to 6.5 coming when Microsoft decides to bring it (likely around September).

The main screen is a skin to hide Windows Mobile 6.1, and does so with some aplomb. The 'strip' system, which spins and changes icons when you swipe across the screen, holds most of the commonly used menu functions, giving you access in a similar way to HTC's TouchFLO system.

The screen is pretty darn responsive, although not iPhone or Pre beating. It's certainly better than a majority of the handsets on the market though, and fits nicely with the device.

Talking of fitting, the handset is massive for a phone. We mean really, really large, which is why people might not be that comfortable with it.

However, after a few minutes of playing with it, the size wasn't as much of an issue. The main benefit of the phone (which is only 9.9mm thick) is the 4.1-inch screen, and you can certainly enjoy that when watching video, which looks awesome on the TG01.

We do wish that it was an OLED in there, but at that size the price (and the functionality) can get a little difficult, so it makes sense for now, and Toshiba backed that theory up by stating the company was very focused on the price so simply couldn't budget for an OLED screen.

And we were a little bit confused by the processing speed and the way Toshiba has demonstrated it in the phone. When flipping the phone on its side, there's a second or two's wait until it re-orientates itself. but then the whole phone is available in landscape mode, which is pretty awesome.

But the question is: how often would you use a phone exclusively in landscape unless you were to buy a dock (and we're not sure if they're available) and connect up a keyboard, using it as a mini PC?

It's a really nice effort though, and in fairness other screens twist round a lot quicker.

One of the main problems that we have with the devices was the penetration of the new interface over the WinMo 6.1 OS, which was sadly shallow. Movies and music have that horrible faux-Media Player list, and while the larger screen makes it easier to stab them on the list, it's still horrible.

And on that front, texting is a real pain in the rear as well, with the onscreen keyboard needing a bit more work as well. We hope that the final release of the phone might have a lot better skinning on top, as the WinMo system (such as adding a contact) is a real effort, with a number of menus to go through to add a single name (although we're not that hopeful having played with the final release package).