One of the downsides of having a touch screen phone is the inevitable accidental dialing of a contact. I sometimes wonder how many relationships have come to an end because of it. The other issue is when you put the phone up to your face. How many times have you accidently ended a call when your face hits the button? The HTC Tilt 2 addresses the latter problem by adding a proximity sensor to the phone. When the phone reaches your face, it automatically shuts off the screen. The former issue is solved by locking the Screen. But you know this already so what is the point? Well let me tell you.
The Point
When you lock your screen, depending on the phone, there is little that you can do with it. Well that is the purpose right? But what if you wanted to do a little with it? Well that is exactly what Microsoft has asked and answered. They have created what I like to call a functional lock screen. When I lock my Tilt 2, there are still a few things available to me.
- I can still see my next appointment
- I can see that I have a voice message waiting
- I can see that I have a Missed call
- I can see that I got a New Email
- I can see that I got a new Text Message
This is a very nice enhancement. I don’t have to unlock my phone just to get some basic information that I always check for.
Everyone Likes a Bonus
Now the real kicker is when I lock my phone while in a call. The lock screen gives me commands that are relevant to being on the phone and I can adjust the volume or end the call. I can even put the call on hold, mute the caller or put them on speaker phone. Having all these features while the phone is locked really steps up the usability of Windows Phone.
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