AT&T and mobile-phone maker HTC have rolled out two new smartphones based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. AT&T said the HTC Pure and HTC Tilt 2 will lead its mobile-phone lineup into 2010.
The Pure and Tilt 2 use AT&T’s 3G network and have core features of voice, text and e-mail. With these phones, AT&T will be one of the first U.S. wireless carriers to support Windows Mobile 6.5, according to Mike Woodward, vice president of mobile phones at AT&T.
Users of the new phones will have access to Windows Marketplace for Mobile, where they can purchase applications and charge them to their monthly billing statement, according to AT&T.
While HTC and AT&T worked together to bring the smartphones to market, Ramon Llamas, an IDC analyst, said they will be unfairly compared to Apple’s popular iPhone. “That is going to be one of the biggest criticisms leveled against” the devices, he said.
On the positive side, consumers and enterprise customers will be interested in what the Windows Mobile 6.5 experience will bring, since previous versions haven’t gained much attention.
“Apple iPhone is interesting, Palm Pre is the same, but when you bring up Microsoft, the reception is not as warm and people shrug their shoulders,” Llamas said.
Windows Mobile 6.5, however, has several upgrades. It includes a touch-friendly user interface and an improved browser with support for Flash. Application and content are accessible through a redesigned Start menu and Internet Explorer Mobile will support rich Web-page experiences, according to AT&T.
“The key to unlocking the potential in HTC Pure and HTC Tilt 2 is in the experience. And 6.5 is ready for prime time,” Llamas said.
Why bring to market two smartphones at once? AT&T said it wanted to give mobile-phone users variety.
Using HTC’s TouchFLO 3D technology, the HTC…