My Favorite HTC Phone

The Phone That Made Me Want to Tinker

There was a time when phones still felt like something you could explore. Before everything became streamlined and predictable, devices invited you to learn them, adjust them, and sometimes even break them just to see what they could really do. It wasn’t always smooth, but it was engaging in a way that modern devices rarely are.

In this episode of Tek With Josh, I revisit the HTC Mogul, also known as the Pocket PC 6800, and talk about why it remains my favorite HTC phone. Not because it was perfect, but because it represented a different kind of experience. With Windows Mobile, a slide-out keyboard, stylus input, and access to software outside of a centralized store, it felt less like a finished product and more like a tool you could shape to your needs.

What We Talk About

What PDAs and early smartphones were like before the modern era

The HTC Mogul and its place in 2007 alongside the first iPhone

Windows Mobile and the flexibility it offered

Installing apps manually and finding software through forums

Watching videos, running emulators, and expanding functionality

The importance of physical keyboards and stylus input at the time

Battery swapping and the realities of older devices

Why the device stood out compared to BlackBerry and Palm

Why This Stood Out

The HTC Mogul wasn’t just another phone I owned. It was one of the first devices that made me want to go deeper into how things worked. It gave me the ability to install software, experiment with features, and use the phone in ways that weren’t strictly intended. That sense of control and flexibility made it feel more personal.

It also came at a time when the industry was still deciding what a smartphone should be. The iPhone was introducing a new direction, but devices like this showed a different path. One that focused less on simplicity and more on capability, even if it came at the cost of ease of use.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, the HTC Mogul doesn’t hold up in any practical sense. The specs are outdated, the software is no longer supported, and most of what made it special depended on the time it came from. But that doesn’t take away from what it meant when it was new.

This was one of those devices that shaped how I interact with technology. It made me curious. It made me want to experiment. And it set the foundation for how I approached future devices, especially when Android made that kind of flexibility more mainstream.

About the Show

Tek With Josh is a podcast about consumer tech, digital life, and the devices that shape how we interact with the world around us. Some episodes focus on what’s new, while others take a step back to reflect on the technology that left a lasting impression.

Listen, read, and explore more at: 👉 BooksByJosh.com