Many people are fed up with trying to use touchscreen phones, but the HTC Desire Z is the touchscreen phone that will change their minds. This is because the HTC Desire Z has a full QWERTY flip out keyboard, making typing easy and avoiding needing to use the touchscreen. This super sleek phone was designed for T-Mobile, but you can unlock it for use with other carriers.

The HTC Desire Z looks like your average touchscreen smart phone that has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years. The brushed aluminum casing and the sharp LCD display have been the rave of many reviewers. The HTC Desire Z also includes both 1.5 GB and 512 MB of internal memory, a 32 GB microSD memory card and uses the latest Android platform, the 2.2.

Reviewers were also impressed with its easy Bluetooth connectivity, 3G web surfing capability, and readily accessible GPS. The five megapixel camera is impressive as well; unlike most cell phone cameras, the HTC Desire Z features an LED flash.

The feature that has been winning over most reviewers is the flip-out keyboard. When the keyboard isn't being used, it stays secure because of a z-hinge on the touchscreen. This hinge has other features as well– namely the ability to open the keyboard with one hand, which can be both entertaining and practical.

Best of all, the built-in keyboard is incredibly easy to use despite its small size, making it a great alternative to the touchscreen. Since the keyboard is in QWERTY format, it does not take long for the use to acclimate to the layout of the keys and the modestly raised buttons, which allow for faster navigation; in fact, users will probably find themselves typing full speed in a very short amount of time.

In the United States, the HTC Desire Z is only available through T-Mobile cell phone services. If you use a carrier other than T-Mobile, simply have the Desire unlocked so that you, too, can use it.

To do this simply phone your provider and ask them for an unlock code. You will need to give them the IMEI code for your HTC Desire Z before they can give you the code. To get the IMEI simply put *#60# into the phone and it will display your IMEI code. Your cell phone carrier can provide an unlock code once you give this number to them.

Be advised, however, that free unlock codes are not available with all cell phone carriers. If your provider fits into this group, you should still be able to find the instructions for unlocking the phone on the internet. Simply search for directions to unlock the HTC Desire Z and you will doubtlessly find them eventually.

Writer Stewart Prabond is a freelance contributor to several websites providing product news and reviews. Recently he has written on popular topics related to the latest unlocked cell phones including the HTC Desire Z.