HTC is the Taiwanese company that's been behind most of the Windows Mobile smartphones from O2, T-Mobile and Orange but they're now out in the open as a name manufacturer in their own right.

The product though that really raised HTC's profile though was the Touch, which debuted in 2007, and its subsequent series of Touch family smartphones.

Slim and compact, the first model impressed with its well thought out interface, ease of use and better-than-most touchscreen.

A year on and the latest Touch has basically the same set-up but everything's a little bit better, with improved screen, a better camera, faster processor, more memory and one important new addition – GPS.

To start at the beginning, the Cruise is considerably heavier and thicker than the original Touch – not that it's approaching 1980s brick-like mobile standards or anything like, but it feels more like an old-style PDA phone.

Beneath the screen is a quartet of buttons which are set flush with the fascia: call start and end, Internet Explorer and a programmable key to which you can assign any one of around 40 functions.

On the sides are a camera shutter button, a volume slider, voice record/voice dial button and a rather flimsy cover for a microSD memory card. A 1GB card comes in the box but it will take up to 8GB if you need it.

In terms of functionality, the touch screen is one of the best available, with the possible exception of the iPhone. It's sensitive enough to use easily without being too easy to trip. The TouchFlo system allows you to brush your thumb up, down or across to scroll through menus and explore websites.

The Touch Cube system also returns, offering quick access to contacts, media and shortcuts just by brushing your thumb across the homepage.

The potential of TouchFLO HTC Gallery is a lovely option, though it's slightly hidden within the system. You can browse through thumbnails of pics by flicking them across the screen and you can zoom in on them by twirling your finger in a circle on the screen.

Twirl it tightly and the picture will zoom in or out. Twirl it in a looser, wider circle and the picture will flip from landscape to portrait. It's a neat trick that never fails to impress.