AT&T Intros Windows Mobile 6.5 Smartphones

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HTC Pure

AT&T introduced a pair of Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones Monday, and the HTC Pure and Tilt 2 offer multiple features to keep mobile employees connected on the go.

Both handsets have large touch screens, as the Pure sports a 3.2-inch display while the Tilt 2 has a 3.6-inch widescreen display. HTC has layered its TouchFlo 3-D interface on top of Windows Mobile for both devices, and this enables users to view voice, text, and e-mail messages in a single, finger-friendly contact view.

The smartphones have deep Exchange support, which means users can get push e-mail, contacts, and calendaring on the go. Heavy mobile e-mail users may be more inclined to pick up the Tilt 2 because it features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Both devices will also come preloaded with Pocket Office to view and interact with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files.

HTC's smartphones have all the features one expects from a high-end device including 3G data, assisted-GPS capabilities, and Bluetooth. With a 5-megapixel camera, the Pure one-ups the Tilt 2's 3.2-megapixel lens, but the Tilt 2 does have a speakerphone with noise cancellation and dual microphones.

"The HTC Tilt 2 and HTC Pure are not only powerhouse devices, they also provide a natural simplicity in the way we communicate with the people in our lives whether through voice, text, or e-mail," said Jason Mackenzie, VP of HTC America, in a statement.

The Pure is available now at AT&T retail stores and online, and it costs about $150 with a new two-year contract and a rebate. The Tilt 2 will cost about $300 with a monthly plan of at least $69.99, and it will be available in the next few weeks.

The nation's second-largest carrier also introduced a voice plan for small businesses that can potentially be used with these new HTC devices. The BusinessTalk voice plans start at $60 a month for five users with 700 anytime minutes, and businesses can expand this to 40 users with 20,000 minutes for $9.99 a line.

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