Our readers in both Europe and Asia have reason to smile this morning, as HTC has at long last announced that the highly anticipated successor to the Touch HD has finally begun shipping. Citizens in Europeans will be able to pick up the HD2 in the next few days while our Asian brothers and sisters will see a gradual rollout staring in a weeks time. As for the majority of our readers, Americans, HTC has formally confirmed what we reported one month ago when the device was first announced — the HD2 will be making its way to “a major US carrier” in early 2010. The only mystery is which carrier could HTC possibly be referring to. Hmm…

Read

As Bell and TELUS put the finishing touches on their Canada-wide 21Mbps HSPA network that is set to launch next week, press releases announcing their HSPA handsets are coming across the wire at a feverish pace. The latest to be announced is the Windows Mobile 6.5-powered Omnia II which is to be exclusive to Bell. Featuring a 3.7″ AMOLED WVGA display, 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and 7.2Mbps UMTS/HSPA connectivity, the Omnia II is definitely a nice device that will make many a Canadian happy. And so it should, as Canadian’s patriotism will be tested when they see it in shops as it has been designated the “Official Mobile Device of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.” Why? Because Bell sure earned that right after it spent an insane $200mm for the right to be the official communications sponsor of the games. Pricing and a specific release date have not yet been announced, but the Omnia II will be available starting next month. Oh, and just for the record, no, we did not edit in the photo of the curling rock. Bell actually seems to be under the delusion that people in Canada enjoy curling. Tsk, tsk.Read

Yesterday, Sprint executive David Owens dropped a ton of great news for Sprint customers in a live chat. Some of the news isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s still good to know and get confirmation from Sprint directly. Read on for the list of items that were mentioned.

• Google Android OS updates are coming for the HTC Hero and Samsung Moment. While he didn’t specify a version – 1.6 or 2.0 – HTC has previously confirmed that they’re working on an Android 2.0 update for the Hero.
• Combination CDMA/GSM Android phones are also “a possibility but nothing this year.”
• They’re considering an Android phone with a built-in MiFi-type router.
• Android phones will get less expensive “as we see volume across the industry.”
• Lots of HTC and BlackBerry phones coming next year. HTC phones “will be on the Android platform.”
• Sprint will “add Wi-Fi to [the BlackBerry] Tour” and have other Wi-Fi BlackBerry smartphones going forward.
• They’re testing Windows Mobile 6.5 updates for the HTC Touch Pro2 and other Windows phones; “plan for early 2010.”
• They want Windows Mobile 7.0 “as soon as possible, but dependent on Microsoft.”
• Expect WiMAX phones next year.
• No tethering for phones that require Everything plans (such as all smartphones) from here on out.

We already know about the updates coming to the Hero and Wi-Fi for the Tour, but it’s pretty cool to see that WiMAX phones are on the horizon. Hopefully that means a faster rollout of the 4G service. Owens also mentions more BlackBerry phones coming next year — could that mean that Sprint is also getting a 85xx series Curve just like Verizon? It could be the Wi-Fi BlackBerry he’s talking about when “going forward.” Lastly, for travelers, having more CDMA/GSM world phones with Android is pretty good news, even if we have to wait until next year.

Read

Businessmen and women have been able to get their hands on it for the past 10 days, but starting today AT&T will sell the HTC Tilt2 to us regular folk. The second Windows Phone Windows Mobile 6.5 handset to be offered by AT&T after the Pure, the Tilt2 is available for $299.99 on a 2-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate or $499.99 contract free. But we have to ask for the sake of stirring up a little Sunday discussion: Considering the fact that all four carriers in the US offer up the Tilt2 in one form or another, why pick AT&T over Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon?

Thanks, Alexander!

Read

The upcoming Canadian wireless entrant WIND has been pretty secretive about its plans other than the fact it wants to shake things up, but thanks to a tipster within the company, we might have just found out the handsets it will be launching its 3G network with. The first is the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the second is the HTC Snap, the third is the Huawei U8220, and the fourth is an unknown QWERTY slider from Samsung. Other than that, it’s alleged that WIND will start off with three n0-contract price plans, have no SAF, not charge clients for features like caller ID and voicemail as well as not bill for intra-Provincial long distance and all dealerships will be outfitted with Microsoft’s Surface. Sounds nice to us, but what do you think, Canada?

Thanks, Fil!

Read

T-Mobile users that have grown accustomed to nothing but boring handsets might want to have a change of underwear on standby before reading any more, because it looks as if Magenta is actually going to offer a a handset of lust-worthy proportions.. According to TmoNews, its carrier namesake will offer the Snapdragon-powered HTC HD2 sometime in the near future, although it does not appear to be a part of Project Dark. We’re going to go and hit up some of our T-Mobile connects to see what they have to say on the matter, but in the meantime we suggest that those of you who are into it start praying that T-Mobile doesn’t ask for silly money if and/when it launches the HD2.

Thanks to everyone that send this in!

Read

Today was a pretty big day for HTC. Not only did it have a bunch of new handsets go live on scores of carriers across the globe, but it also announced the HD2. Known best by its codename Leo, the HD2 is the crown jewel of HTC’s Windows Mobile 6.5 offerings if not the envy of every other WinMo handset maker with a spec sheet that reads as follows: 4.3″ WVGA capacitive display, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, G-sensor, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB ROM / 448MB RAM, 7.2Mbps UMTS/HSPA and HTC’s Sense UI overlay. As it stands, there is no official announcement on the HD2’s USA-bound status, but Slashgear was told by HTC CEO Peter Chou that the HD2 should arrive in the New World sometime in Q1 2010. We hope nothing gets in the way of this because we certainly don’t want to be let down twice.

Read

AT&T officially said sometime in the “coming weeks” as far as the Tilt 2 release date was concerned, but we’ve got that translated out for you — October 8th. Since we also got our hands on the internal training document (it’s dated October 2nd, so it’s very recent), we screencapped a couple slides for informational purposes. There are nice comparisons against the AT&T Pure as well as one on troubleshooting when the device crashes. Yeah.

Microsoft is having a hard time containing Windows Mobile 6.5.  First, the HTC Pure hits retail shelves in advance of the October 6th unveiling, and now Windows Marketplace for Mobile has also reportedly launched prematurely. If you are already running Windows Mobile 6.5 on your handset or were amongst the savvy folks that scored an HTC Pure this weekend, you can now enjoy the ease of browsing and buying applications through Microsoft’s first mobile phone marketplace. Your pleasure will be limited as the marketplace reportedly only contains 34 applications, most of which have a higher price tag than the 99¢ price point that dominates Apple’s App store. Let’s hope that Microsoft is working overtime today to beef up the numbers and trim down the prices of the applications in their fledgling Marketplace. Otherwise, well, you can use your imagination.

Read

Listen, it’s not like this official confirmation means too much as you could already buy an HTC Pure starting yesterday, but it’s always nice to have a shiny press release and embargo lift. The HTC Pure and Tilt 2 are AT&T’s very first Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets and feature HTC’s incredible TouchFLO3D UI layered beautifully on top of Windows Mobile. We checked out the Pure in person a little while back and it’s a little different than the stock HTC unit — a tad on the thick side, but with a dark blue case and a pretty angular look, it’s definitely a great touch-based WinMo device. It will run you $149.99 with a two-year contract and the Tilt2 will be available in the “coming weeks” for $299.00 also with a two-year agreement.

Read

While it might not be intended to be so, it’s generally an exceptional event if a given phone isn’t sold before its launch date by various carrier outlets. Case in point: the HTC Pure. We know over the past few days some AT&T locations begun receiving stock of the customized Touch Diamond2, but now word is that some of those locations are selling the Pure ahead of what is assumed to be its official release date of Tuesday. Overall, the Pure doesn’t appear to be packed with any surprises other than the disappointingly non-existent 3.5mm headphone jack. As we exclusively told you, the Pure is indeed going for $149.99 on a 2-year after a $100 MIR meaning that a lot of WinMo junkies are going to have a touch decision between the more affordable Pure and the better spec’d Imagio.

Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

Read

Remember the super-sized HTC Leo? Well, it’s now officially called the HTC Touch HD2 and it may be hitting the shelves of the European branches of T-Mobile sometime in the near future. A leaked document with glorious magenta coloring reveals the Touch HD2 as one of T-Mobile’s new handsets. No release date or pricing has been uncovered yet, but with Windows Mobile 6.5 and a slew of new 6.5-powered smartphones arriving next week, the Touch HD2 can’t be too far away. Are you ready for this 1GHz, 5 megapixel monster?

Read

You might not be able to get your hands on one until next Tuesday but we have a little treat this morning for Windows Mobile fans waiting impatiently for the HTC Imagio. Apparently a Verizon Wireless distributor has thrown caution to the wind and decided to preview the unreleased handset in great detail on YouTube. From front to back and top to bottom, the video walks you through just about everything you’ll need to see in order to decide whether or not this puppy is for you. So if waiting another five days to examine Verizon’s first Windows Mobile 6.5-powered handset is just too torturous for you, hit the jump and enjoy eight solid minutes of WinMo 6.5 action.

Thanks, Mr. Hi-Def!

Although not a soul alive is shocked by the news, today Verizon Wireless announced it will be releasing the HTC Imagio — its first Windows Mobile 6.5 device — online starting October 6th. The Imagio, known to most by its codename Whitestone, will feature the following key specs: 3.6″ WVGA touchscreen display (resistive, of course), 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, Wi-Fi, EV-DO Rev. A, quad-band EDGE and 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA for international roaming. Being a WinMo device from HTC, TouchFLO 3D is naturally included while Verizon will be chipping in MediaFLO support for those who are willing to part with an extra $15 per month. So what will the Imagio cost come its big day? $199.99 on a 2-year deal after a $100 MIR which isn’t all that shabby, all things considered.

Read

Windows Mobile fans take note — 30 new handsets powered by your mobile OS of choice will supposedly be debuting before you again sing a drunken version of Auld Lang Syne. Benjamin Tan, senior director of the GCR Mobile Team Unit at Microsoft China, let loose the rumor that an avalanche of new Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets from HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Acer, Toshiba, HP and more will be released in the waning months of 2009. Carriers who have jumped on board this Window Mobile bonanza include AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, NTT DoCoMO, Softbank Mobile,  SKT, Telstra and Telus. Bottom line: no matter where you are located or what you prefer in a smartphone, there will apparently be a Windows Phone to suit your needs in 2009.

Read

Is looks as though Samsung is brimming with excitement where the upcoming Omnia II and its preliminary carrier of choice, Verizon Wireless, are concerned. Way back in August, the Korean manufacturer popped up a preview page on its Samsung Mobile USA site and now we have a new, slightly less secretive preview of the handset that was just dug up by one of our eagle-eyed readers. The only listed specs for the time being are a hefty 1500mAh battery, an included stylus and a mic adapter of some kind, but we also get our first official marketing render of the sleek handset complete with its bizarre d-pad. The sleek handset is allegedly already listed in Verizon’s inventory system however, so all this info popping up on Samsung’s site might lead some to believe an official announcement from Sammy and Verizon is imminent. Fingers crossed, WinMo fans.

Thanks, Alan!

Read

One of our ninjas just blessed us with a look at a portion of AT&T’s Windows Mobile road-map for the rest of the year. Quickly glancing at it we can see that the AT&T Tilt 2 will obviously launch in October, and refreshingly, the Samsung Epix and Samsung Jack will be getting upgrades to Windows Mobile 6.5 courtesy of upcoming maintenance releases. What’s more exciting, however, are the HP Obsidian and LG Monaco launches. While not brand new to the world, it’s nice to know that these Windows Mobile business-focused handsets will finally see the light of day come November. We know October is going to be full of 6.5 handsets like the Tilt 2 and Pure, and November shows no signs of slowing down either. Here’s a quick refresher on specifications for the LG Monaco and HP Obsidian and a larger shot after the break:

HP Obsidian:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100MHz)
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Wi-Fi b,g
• QWERTY keyboard
• microSD slot
• GPS
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Windows Mobile 6.5

LG Monaco:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100MHz)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Wi-Fi b,g
• Slide-out full QWERTY keyboard
• GPS
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera

Thanks, Feech!

Are you an AT&T subscriber anxiously awaiting the day when you can finally make the HTC Tilt 2 your own? If so, good news first came back in August when we gave you a screenshot of the handset sitting pretty in AT&T’s system. Things got even better yesterday when we told you the highly anticipated phone is scheduled to drop in mid-October with Windows Mobile 6.5 in tow. Today, just for good measure, one of our eagle-eyed tipsters managed to unearth a new screenshot, this time with the Tilt 2 holding a slightly more established position in AT&T’s system. Our last capture simply showed entries for the standard Tilt 2 along with a No Camera version — this time around we can clearly see that AT&T has added insurance options for both versions of the Windows Phone, as well as entries for used handsets. We’re also hearing that training is set to kick off soon after having been delaying due to the bug we mentioned yesterday. That bug, by the way, involved an AT&T-specific addition to the software, meaning those of you upset by the two-week delay shouldn’t be blaming HTC or Microsoft. Mmm hmm.

Acer’s long awaited high-end Windows Mobile handset is rumored to finally be ready for launch on October 6th. Not coincidentally, this is the official roll out date of Windows Mobile 6.5 as you well know by now, and it looks like Acer wants in on the action just like everyone else. As a refresher, the F1 will feature a 3.8-inch WVGA display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5 megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, GPS, FM Tuner, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s expected to debut for £295 ($482USD), making the F1 an extremely wallet-friendly option as far as full featured Windows Phones are concerned.

[Via PhoneArena]

Read

Good news, future Windows Phone owners — Microsoft has further clarified its position on the app kill switch tied to Windows Mobile 6.5 we reported earlier this week. Apparently it’s not as bad as everyone thought. In short, the remote deletion of apps from users’ handsets will supposedly only occur in the event an app goes haywire:

In the vast majority of instances where an application is removed from Windows Marketplace for Mobile, users of this application will continue to be able to use these applications on their phones. In the rare event an application from Marketplace exhibits harmful behavior or has unforeseen effects, Marketplace has the capability to remotely uninstall these applications. While we hope to avoid this scenario, we will make refunds available in such cases.

So in the end — assuming Microsoft holds true to its statement — the Marketplace for Mobile kill switch shouldn’t have any negative impact on users. Of course “unforeseen effects” leaves a bit of room for interpretation, but Redmond’s vow to issue refunds in the event an app is remotely uninstalled should help everyone feel all warm and fuzzy again. Satisfied, WinMo fans?

Read

Oh no, we’re not done just yet ladies and gents. We already know October 6th is going to be a glorious day and now it looks like AT&T subscribers will be able to join in on the fun. Have you been feeling left out, wondering when AT&T would finally launch the HTC Touch Pro2 that is already available from T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon? Dry those eyes, as AT&T apparently had a good reason to hold off on the launch. According to our ninja, AT&T is preparing to launch the Pro2 — dubbed Tilt 2 by AT&T as we already know — on October 6th. Since the release will come after Windows Mobile 6.5 becomes a reality on the 6th, it’s a safe bet that the Tilt 2 will pack WinMo 6.5 right out of the box if all goes according to plan. Sure, it might have taken a while but AT&T fans can now take solace in knowing they’ll be rocking 6.5 while other Pro2 owners are busy trying to upgrade.

UPDATE: It looks like the target release date of the 6th will be missed due to a few bugs that still need to be ironed out and tested. The new target is apparently October 18th.

It looks as though T-Mobile subscribers will have two big reasons reasons to rejoice come November 11th, but they’re not the only ones with cause for celebration in the near future. Let’s not forget that Windows Mobile fans around the world will have a reason to party well ahead of that; in fact, one of our trusty ninjas has just added to the Windows Phone fray with the juicy tidbit that on October 6th — the day Windows Mobile 6.5 devices lift off globally — Verizon Wireless plans to get in on the action with the HTC Imagio. Codenamed Whitestone and previously mistaken for the Touch Diamond2, the Imagio features WinMo 6.5 along with a 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen display, a 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB ROM/256MB RAM, a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and anti-shake, GPS and GSM connectivity in addition to Verizon’s CDMA/EV-DO connectivity. As a tasty little aside, we’ve heard from a few sources that the HTC Predator will likely land on VZW later in October, though for the time being all we know is that it will run Android. Getting excited yet, Verizon fans?

In the run up to the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5, manufacturers and carriers are trying to tantalize fan bases with new and exciting products. Unfortunately there really hasn’t been anything we would deem “wow worthy” up to this point (announced officially, that is), though Samsung seems to think its short-term strategy is all that. First off, Sammy finally got around to announcing the OmniaPRO B7330, a low-end full-QWERTY number with a 320×320 display, 3 megapixel camera, FM tuner and 7.2Mbps HSDPA/2Mbps HSUPA connectivity. Second, it announced that the OmniaLITE B7300 will ship with WinMo 6.5 as with all Omnia models shipped after 6.5 goes live. Third and lastly, Samsung announced that later on in the year at a time not specified, Samsung will release WinMo 6.5 upgrades for the Omnia II i800, OmniaPRO B7320, and OmniaPRO B7610 alongside “a set of customized strategies to differentiate and expand sales of each model by appealing to a broad spectrum of user groups.” We haven’t a clue what Samsung has in mind in terms of customization, but we do have this nagging feeling that it won’t exactly knock anyone’s socks off.

Read

While word of the Toshiba TG01 heading to the US isn’t expected any time soon, we may have another Snapdragon-powered WinMo handset headed our way in the not-too-distant future. Sure, we’ve had the specs for a while and we recently got to enjoy some live pics, but there’s nothing like seeing the HTC Leo strut it’s multi-touch stuff on camera to get those juices flowing. Mmmm, a little 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen action is just what the doctor ordered. Hit the jump for a quick video of this sexy, albeit mammoth Windows Phone showing off for the camera and get ready for what will undoubtedly be a hefty price tag once the Leo gets official.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

[Via MobileTechWorld]

Read

We have a bit of troubling news from Windows world today as a developer in attendance at Microsoft’s Tech.Ed New Zealand has relayed some interesting tidbits. Regarding the “Windows Marketplace for Mobile” — Microsoft’s version of the Apple App Store — Microsoft has confirmed the existence of a ‘kill switch’ for apps. In the event an approved app is later removed from the Marketplace, the app will also automatically be removed from users’ handsets. We’re not sure what this means for paid apps, though we doubt refunds will be issued automatically as well. Microsoft isn’t the only company with this policy of course, but it’s a bit unsettling all the same. The bottom line is that this could spell bad news for users and developers alike, though we highly doubt Microsoft will rule over the Marketplace with an iron fist to the extent that Apple does. Let’s just hope that if and when Redmond does start killing apps, there’s a good reason for it. Hit the jump for more interesting tidbits from Tech.Ed as reported by The Unofficial Tech Ed Blog.

Thanks, Sean!

• Revenue sharing is always 70/30 for developers. Even if an operator enters the mix, Microsoft will pay the operator share from their 30%.
• It costs US$99 to enroll your first applications – up to five “slots”. Upgrades are free. New apps after this will cost US$99 each.
• Changing an application from “free” to “paid” is not considered an upgrade.
• Microsoft has a set of guidelines – applications have to follow these. For example applications that replace core functionality will be rejected. Mapping/routing applications will be rejected. Some applications may not be available in all markets.
• The marketplace launches in 29 countries.
• Developers are paid through EFT, currently currencies include US dollars, Japanese Yen, Euro, Australia dollars, British pounds.
• If an application is approved but later removed from the marketplace it will then be automatically removed from all mobile devices.
• The marketplace client software will show available updates and users can choose to install them when they want.
• Software can be reinstalled and activated up to five times – for example if you lose your mobile device or change devices.
• Developers are able to specify hardware requirements that will be checked before the software is purchased.
• Even if an application is rejected from the marketplace it is still possible for developers to sell it through other channels.

[Via PPCGeeks]

Read

WinMo fans, we hope you’re sitting down — the long rumored HTC Leo has finally been pictured in the wild. The rather large and boxy handset is shown rocking Windows Mobile 6.5 above a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB ROM/320MB RAM, camera with dual LED flash and a huge 4.3-inch 800×480 touchscreen display. We already knew most of the specs of course but it’s still nice to see them live and in the flesh. So what do you think, is this offering from HTC a beauty or a beast? Hit the jump if you need to see a few more snapshots before you make your decision.

Thanks, Ike!

[Via MobileTechWorld]

Read

The leaky online retailer eXpansys UK has potentially outed yet another release date for an upcoming handset. This time around it is the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2. According to the product page, the X2 is expected to arrive on January 11th, 2010 — a tad bit later than its announced Q4 2009 release. Pricing, well, is a ridiculous £604.99 ($1,010 USD) for an unlocked version from eXpansys. Expect the price to fall prior to launch of course, as a price that high would effectively kill any chance of success for this Windows Mobile handset. Sony Ericsson may be on a downward slide lately but it can’t be that self-destructive. Even with a price drop, is anyone excited by this phone or is it just another offering in a long line of Windows Mobile phones, soon to be overshadowed by the Android-powered XPERIA X3?

[Via Pocketnow]

Read

It’s official, Verizon fans — one of the sexiest Windows Mobile handsets to launch this year can be yours starting tomorrow. Just like we exclusively scooped last week, the HTC Touch Pro2 will be available tomorrow, September 11th for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract. While $200 is a substantial amount of money of course, it looks like peanuts compared to the insane $349.99 Sprint and T-Mobile are asking. Customers looking to score a Pro2 from Sprint or Tmo shouldn’t despair just yet though — Verizon’s insanely competitive pricing will likely clear the early adopter tax from both carrier’s offerings relatively quickly. If you’re a Verizon customer however, there’s no need to wait. Anyone planning on snagging one of these bad boys tomorrow?

UPDATE: For those asking below, Verizon has confirmed to us that the Touch Pro2 will be $489.99 off contract.

Thanks, Jason!

Read

What better way to start off a new week than with an early review of an unreleased handset from our Russian friends at mobile-review. Maybe it’s a Labor Day present. This week they’ve managed to get their hands on the HTC Touch2, a device that will help kick off the Windows Phone revolution evolution interim solution. Overall the device scored well with good build quality, pocket/palm-friendly dimensions, great performance, solid call quality and good battery life; but it wasn’t all milk and cookies. One of the biggest shortcomings of the Touch2 appears to be the lack of auto-focus for the 3 megapixel camera — mobile-review feels the cam produces shots with bland colors and an extra helping of blur. Also, the navigation buttons proved to be very difficult for those with larger digits. As for how much the Touch2 will cost when it hits shelves starting October 6th, no one is really sure but the latest word is that it will run about $500 unlocked, give or take.

Read

Good news for owners of HTC’s latest bumper crop of Windows Mobile phones. Lars Christian Weisswange, the Regional Director of HTC for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has reportedly confirmed that the HTC Touch Pro2, the Diamond2 and the HTC Snap will be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5 when the OS is officially released by Microsoft in early October. The ROM update will be free (yay!) and will feature the latest version of TouchFLO 3D, which reportedly borrows its look and feel from HTC’s Sense UI for Android. No details on when the ROM upgrade will be provided, which countries outside Germany, Austria and Switzerland are included or whether carrier involvement will influence availability. In the unfortunate event you can’t get your hands on an “official” Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM, there is always the xda developers forum,which has been providing WM 6.5 ROMs for several months now.

[Via wmpoweruser]

Read