Touch screen phone segment is the prime focus of all major mobile phone companies now. Even though these phones have already been in the market for quite some time but used to be seen mainly in the enterprise segment. Thanks to the apple iPhone, they have gained popularity in multimedia segment too. Handset manufacturers have started looking beyond the conventional methods of entering information( the age old keypads). And have introduced phones with various combinations ranging from stand alone touch screens to partial ones, from stylus touch to finger touch. So if you are keen on buying a one, here are a few things you should consider

Display Size

The first thing you should consider while buying a touch screen phone is its display.Be it inserting text or accessing information, every function carried out by tapping finger/stylus against the display.So the thumb rule is bigger the screen, more space you will get for typing. There is no such conventional screen size but phones with large display such as 2.8 inch would be nice.However keep in mind that bigger the display, bulkier the handset will become. So look out for one, which is a perfect combination of both.

Interface

Earlier the touchscreen segment was dominated by the stylus and nobody ever thought that a finger touch could also work. But thanks to the iphone, a new finger touch interface has been introduced. In phones with stylus, the keys on the onscreen keyboard are small and not at all finger friendly. But the case is different in finger touch,as the screen is customised to accommodate the width of the human digit. For example apart from apple iphone, such an interface can be found in LG Viewty and Samsung's Armani.

Both the interfaces have their highs and low so select the one you are comfortable using. But if you are not sure about on screen keypad, you can even go in for touch screen phone with a physical keypad like the Sony Ericsson Pli.

Handwriting Recognition

One of the most popular features amongst touch screen phones is the hand writing recognition. As using an on screen keypad consumes a lot of time, this feature comes handy in writing notes.

But it might not be as convenient as it sounds. In certain phones you can write anywhere on the screen whereas in a few selected area for handwriting is marked out.

Screen sensitivity

Response time and the touch sensitivity are some other points to be considered.Some phones like the iphone have unique and responsive touch screen but the situation is not the same with others. TH e LG Viewty has a similar interface but the touch sensitivity leaves a lot to be desired.Another interesting feature installed in the iPhone is the face recognition sensor that automatically locks the keypad as the soon as the phone comes near face while accessing calls. This saves from the hassle of apps running in the background whereas this feature is missing in most of the touch screen phones available today.

Software

If you are keen about uploading third party apps then do consider the operating system.

Battery:

Touch screen drains battery very fast. So battery life is a very important factor while you opt for a touch screen phone.