14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless carrier AT&T is the first mobile phone operator in the US to put on sale handsets powered by Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. Although the first devices running under the platform should hit the market on Tuesday, AT&T already announced the availability of its first Windows Phone, the HTC Pure. In addition, the carrier also said that the Tilt 2 (HTC Touch Pro2) would come to its airwaves with Windows Mobile 6.5 on board in the following weeks.
Both HTC Pure and Tilt 2 come to the market with touchscreen displays and feature HTC's TouchFLO 3D interface, as well as intuitive navigation features and fast access to applications and functionalities. Moreover, both handsets are proof of HTC's approach, namely putting people at the center of the communication experience by delivering voice, text, or email on a single contact view.
“As one of the first carriers to support Windows Mobile 6.5 in the U.S. and the largest distributor of Windows phones worldwide, AT&T has a long history of leadership in smartphones and Windows Mobile,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Twice as many smartphone users choose AT&T over any other carrier and the HTC Tilt 2 and HTC Pure will lead our Windows phone lineup into 2010.”
According to AT&T, it will also support Microsoft's Windows Marketplace for Mobile, which will debut on October 6 officially. Users will have the opportunity to purchase applications from the Marketplace and have them included in their monthly phone bill. As the storefront is expected to soon become available for older versions of Windows Mobile, AT&T plans on offering support for handsets running under them as well.
When it comes to the specifications of the HTC Tilt 2, we can count a tilting 3.6-inch touchscreen display that boasts a WVGA resolution, as well as a large QWERTY keyboard, HTC's Straight Talk technology, noise cancellation features, a 3.2-megapixel photo snapper, dual speakers and dual microphones, enhanced support for email and web browsing, and more. The device will hit AT&T in the following weeks, priced at $299.99 with a two-year contract agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate.
As for HTC Pure, it sports a 3.2-inch WVGA touchscreen display and advanced touch experience, a 5-megapixel photo snapper with video recording capabilities, gravity and ambient light sensors, expandable memory, and more. The phone is already available from AT&T at a price of $149.99 upon the signing of a two-year contract with the carrier and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Both handsets need a minimum $69.99 plan.