AT&T's "Tilt" Kaiser variation spotted in the wild

It looks like that purported first pic of AT&T's version of the HTC Kaiser, dubbed the "Tilt," wasn't entirely on the mark but, as you can see from the shot of the real deal above, it wasn't too far off either. One of the most noticeable changes is a new silver dialpad of questionable taste, which sorta matches the seemingly shinier than usual navigation keys on the face of the device. Also, if you squint hard enough you'll see that there's an option to "Get TeleNav," which means that you won't be getting TomTom, and also likely means that you'll need a data connection to use it. Hit up the read link below for a few more pics courtesy of HowardForums member "jlczl."

Update: It looks like that delay we'd heard about might be for real, at least if retailer Negri Electronics is to be believed. It's now listing the Tilt with an expected in stock date of October 23rd, which is a fair bit later than the September 30th date it was quoting earlier.

[Fastman @ Sep 28th 2007 11:01AM]

Hmm...trying to decide between this and the HP iPaq 900 series..

[chuck @ Sep 28th 2007 11:01AM]

"silver dialpad of questionable taste" -- that chrome is seriously nasty

[Alien Grey @ Sep 28th 2007 11:02AM]

Looks nice, but I still like my iPhone. I love the EDGE!!! HA! right............

[DickHardknocks @ Sep 28th 2007 11:07AM]

No cellphone is ever gonna replace a factory Navigation system - especially now that you have SD card models like TOM TOM and harddrive models like MYGIG (2008 chrysler vehicles).

Its nice to be able to use a cellphone as a GPS Navi but if they intend for you to do that, include a dashboard mount for it.

[aron @ Sep 28th 2007 11:33AM]

GPS isn't used in cars only; when I'm travelling, it's extremely handy to have it when taking the bus or just walking around without carrying yet another gadget.

[JeffnLA @ Sep 28th 2007 12:26PM]

Funny... I remember hearing "no portable cell phone will replace a fixed, built in car phone" - years ago.

[ryantrevisol @ Sep 28th 2007 11:16AM]

The wise men at HTC know what it's like to be thick as a brick, I see.

[Bryan @ Sep 28th 2007 6:03PM]

what an ignorant comment. i bet you dont even own a pocket pc device. granted they arent as thin as a certain phone that noone will shut up about, but find me another device with a QWERTY keyboard running WM6 Professional that is as thin as this (excluding the Titan and TyTn).

[David @ Sep 28th 2007 11:46AM]

I understand that we live in a world of gadgetary differences, a world of Blu-Ray and HD, iPhone and N95, Playstation and XBOX... but could we all come together on the chrome-is-a-bad-idea-on-mobile-phones idea?

It always rubs away, aging device housings prematurely. It scratches easily, in very noticeable, unsightly ways. And it never really looks good. Who are they trying to kid? Is anyone ever going to say, "WOW! You got one of those new phones made of highly polished metal!"

No.

Chrome-painted plastic on mobile phones is like wood paneling on old station wagons. For the good of all humanity, it must be stopped.

[andy @ Sep 28th 2007 11:54AM]

David in '08


You've got my vote.

[telepheedian @ Sep 28th 2007 12:40PM]

Yes, if anyone owns a blackberry pearl, they know exactly what you are talking about. Once you've owned it for about 6 months, it looks trashed.

[trumpton @ Sep 28th 2007 11:55AM]

That fiddly tilt mechanism just says "I'm going to break" to me.

The phone's one ugly mo'fo too.

[I.E @ Sep 28th 2007 12:10PM]

you can tell that without even touching it?

[unsigned @ Sep 28th 2007 12:37PM]

After having the Tytn for a year, there is no way I was going with another WM5 device... My iPhone rocks!

[Dance @ Sep 28th 2007 1:45PM]

Dude, WM6, not 5, but im glad you like your iPhone.

Seriously, why does every iPhone lover feel they need to go to every forum and say that they love there iPhone? Not a hater, I just dont see what the relevance is.

When I see someone with there iPhone being all cool, im chillen' with my TyTN II being all cool. We are both cool, cuz iPhone person has the cool looking fun to use phone that holds some of there music and can slide there finger all over the place. Im cruzing the net at 3G speed with a sub par Explorer, plotting the next club to go to with Tom Tom, sliding out my keyboard and typing with 4 fingers, oooo! Recording a video of a DJ I want to book and then MMS it to my partner. I then "scan" the DJs card and save it as a contact (works well enough and I always have the picture as backup). Call my friend and tell them to get down here on my 2.0 blue tooth while I look to see what I have left in my account to spend on shots with one of the thousands of 3rd party apps I can get with out the fear of ever being "bricked" for using it, (though a few soft resets unfortunately every now and then). Then the iPhone person walks into the club, snaps a few photos of there friends and calls a buddy using blue tooth 2.0 while SLOWLY surfing the web for the next hot spot to cruz on a very nice mobile browser. iPhone person nods to me, I nod back, its cool.

Could I use the iPhone to do my work? HELL NO! does iPhone person need to do all the stuff the TyTN II can do? Probably not.

TyTN II is a stylish workhorse. It organizes, it directs, it records, it alarms, it plays, it surfs, it ROCKS!

iPhone is ultra stylish, easy to use, holds a good bit of music, has a beautiful display, fun to use, surfs the web slowly (EDGE) but beautifully, and did I mention it looks cool?

So come on iPhone fan boys and girls. This is about TyTN II and its ugly crippled little sister "ATT Tilt". Give us people who are not interested in the iPhone and all its splendor a break.

[unsigned @ Sep 29th 2007 11:13AM]

@ Dance:

Maybe that was the problem, I actually had the 8525, not the HTC branded device. I dunno.

I ran WM6 on it, at best it was a hair better than WM5. Mostly a theme upgrade, HTML email was the top usability feature.

AT&T's 3G network is rife with spots that simply don't perform at 3G speeds. Surfing on the iPhone is consistantly slow, but consistant. Seriously half the time on the 8525, between the lack of speed and the poor quality browser the data plan was useless.

Then there is stability, if rebooting your phone when you need to use some app is your thing, then by all means WM6 is the wy to go. Daily reboots become a way of life. It has Windows in the name, expect performance as such.

IMHO, the iPhone is more like a traditional cell phone. It is a closed platform, but just works. You charge it and use it, set it down at night and know it will be the same tomorrow. For now, it works for me...

I used the 8525 daily for a year, I was so excited to get one, I had the first one in my hand at from the local ATT store on release day. A couple of months in, I realized it was *not* worth the money.

[apeguero @ Sep 28th 2007 12:10PM]

I'm sure the bling on that phone will look great with the grill in my mouth...NOT!!!!

[Dhanik @ Sep 28th 2007 12:14PM]

If only Apple made a similar slider (with touch screen) and sliding keyboard underneath, i would totally buy it!

[theletterj @ Sep 28th 2007 12:50PM]

@ Dhanik

Why in the world would it matter if Apple made it? This phone already exists, fanboi.

[Dhanik @ Sep 28th 2007 12:59PM]

@theletterj: I was just saying why i don't like the iphone(lack of keys). I m not a apple fanboy. I m shifting to at&t soon and this phone is right at the top of my list.

[Bayard Michael @ Sep 28th 2007 12:21PM]

the chrome is very nearly a deal breaker, but the removal of the HTC interface and what looks like a move making the GPS into a proprietary ATT GPS, and, guessing, making a Tom Tom install not possible, is a deal breaker.
Nice work ATT, you took the UBBER- PHONE and made it into crap.
Now that my wait for this brick is over, I have to seriously consider big money for an unlocked one, or wait for the next phone that has everything I am looking for...
Thanks for nothing AT&T....

[slyng1 @ Sep 28th 2007 4:38PM]

I agree. I assume with Telenav they make you pay $10/mo. So on a 2yr contract that's worth $240 over the life of the phone. How much do you think ATT sells this for w/ a 2yr contract? What i'm getting at is, could you rationalize spending more money for the unlocked version that has the extra camera, free GPS, and a non-ugly front...?

I think i'm just trying to convince myself to buy the TyTN II....

[Chris McNamara @ Sep 28th 2007 12:20PM]

Looks like I'll be buying an unlocked HTC Kaiser/TyTN II from a vendor - I don't want to mess around with AT&T's crappy version (aesthetically and software).

[ihavetinyballs @ Sep 28th 2007 1:39PM]

This is stripped down. No front mounted camera like the 120 version so that means no video dialing, etc.

Blah

[miko34 @ Sep 28th 2007 12:53PM]

Yah, that chrome and the gray dial pad are not doing it for me. I hope that's not the final pic ... although, it's getting closer to release time.

I guess it is the nerd phone... smart on the inside, but ugly on the outside (with chrome braces).

[Zach @ Sep 28th 2007 1:12PM]

very hideous.

[hikeskool @ Sep 28th 2007 1:04PM]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat Michael.

It's like they did a 180 from their success with the 8525 and totally nerfed this device.

While my initial reaction to the "chrome" is not one of joy, I'll wait until I see it to reserve judgment.

Also, does anyone know if the 8925/Tilt will still have the hardware GPS in there?

I spend about 90% of my time in areas with free Wi-Fi and thus have zero interest in an AT&T data plan, but would be really bummed if AT&T forces me to buy a data plan to use the GPS functions.

As far as the interface/GUI, can't we just download an HTC ROM to restore that functionality? Why would that not work?

Guess I'll just wait around for the reviews to see if I'm going to buy the AT&T version, an unlocked Kaiser, or just bite the bullet and opt for the 8525 for $150 (2-yr. contract price) on Newegg. Looking at what AT&T did here, that may be my best option, although something tells me I won't like my decision down the road.

And no, I don't want an iphone.

[DrNeuralgia @ Sep 28th 2007 1:21PM]

why note getting it unlocked from phonesource-usa o mobileplanet. they're both excellent importers

[hikeskool @ Sep 28th 2007 1:28PM]

Right, because they're about $800 shipped.

Why would I do that to myself when I can (hopefully) buy it for considerably less with a new AT&T contract (which I'm up for) and then load up an HTC ROM?

Or, spend about 1/5 of that unlocked price for an 8525 on Newegg, again with a new contract.

[Richard @ Sep 28th 2007 1:57PM]

I think the chrome - all that chrome - is the straw that broke the camel's back...and nearly tripled my acquisition cost.

Between the chrome and the ATT Interface, I'm off to HTC land.

[Marty @ Sep 28th 2007 1:57PM]

"After having the Tytn for a year, there is no way I was going with another WM5 device... My iPhone rocks!"

TyTn 2 not WM5... WM6. MS also working on wi-fi connection between WM6 and Media Center. Why pay for TV shows on iTunes when I can DVR them at home and stream them anywhere?(ok and to be fair, you could prolly convert DVR files to an iphone playable standard, right?).

And anyone who prefers the iPhone over any other PDA phone obviously has a different agenda, it's a really lame comparison if you ask me. No Apple-bashing intended there.
Personally, I NEED Excel and Powerpoint.
Also, TyTn 2 is 3G... actually, wasn't the first TyTn as well? How do you go from 3G TyTn to EDGE iphone and not feel it? Unless you never used the TyTn to its full potential and were too cheap to pay for 3G.
I may be biased though... I love HTC phones...

[LordJohnWhorfin @ Sep 28th 2007 2:15PM]

I got a Sprint Mogul (that's a TyTn 1, right?) because
1) I'm paying $30/month for better/more service than AT&T offers for $60/month
2) I can tether the Mogul to get kick-ass broadband access from my computer when I travel
3) I can run TomTom, Sling, Skype on it.

On the negative side:
1) battery life TOTALLY SUCKS. I barely get 12 hours of use out of it with WiFi turned off.
2) bluetooth SUCKS. there's a well known problem that makes BT headsets unusable (your voice is heard all choppy by the other party)
3) Microsoft's own VoiceCommand 1.6 doesn't work properly with bluetooth headsets. How lame is that?
4) There are at least 3 browsers for it (built-in Explorer, Opera Mobile and Mozilla). They all suck.
5) The controls are cumbersome to the extreme. It has buttons all over, and you're always pressing one you don't want to press.
6) The damn thing wakes up spontaneously (I suspect that's what's draining the battery)

All in all, I'm glad I have it because of Sprint's rates and the tethering features, but HTC and Microsoft have a lot to do before they even begin to get near a point where they could start to compare with the iPhone's usability.

[Marty @ Sep 28th 2007 2:00PM]

Also meant to mention... mobilebee.com has TyTn 2/Kaiser already. Right next to their unlocked iPhone. :)

[ihavetinyballs @ Sep 28th 2007 2:45PM]

Hermes 100 / 8525 / TYTN kicks ass hands down. The real version of this phone that is HTC branded and actually has the front facing camera kicks ass.

Anyone who knows anything can install one of several cooked ROMs that have been out there for the past few weeks to remove all the AT&T crap and still keep the service with the proper OEM applications or whatever WM6 programs they want. Locked or unlocked Super CID or not.

As for the guy with the mogul. There is a patch for the bluetooth issue as well as the voice command.

8525 running WM6 (wi-fi no data plan)
ROM: 3.61 vp3G & AT&T
Radio: 1.48
Hard SPL 7 (unbrickable)
Tom Tom 6 with GPS antenna in the car.

[hikeskool @ Sep 28th 2007 3:05PM]

Question:

Have you seen or do you expect those kind of ROM options with the Kaiser/8925?

I don't want the probably-crappy AT&T/WM6 interface, and I want to use the navigation, if the required hardware part is going to actually make it to AT&T's version, without paying for data.

[LordJohnWhorfin @ Sep 28th 2007 5:15PM]

Yeah, well I've been scouring the forums for weeks and couldn't find any mention of a patch for either, so a link would be more than welcome, besides proving that you're not a bs-ing windows fanboi.
And how about the sucky battery life?

[boe @ Sep 28th 2007 5:36PM]

There is a home grown app to address BT confirmation with VC however it does't work reliably.

THERE IS NO PATCH for CRAPPY BT converstaions - your callers sound fine to you but it is cruel to speak to them through BT as you are frequently choppy.

[boe @ Sep 28th 2007 3:29PM]

XDA Developers already reporting problems with the BT on the Kaiser. Not sure why HTC doesn't test their Bluetooth units - the 6800/mogul is intolerable.

[LordJohnWhorfin @ Sep 28th 2007 5:15PM]

Just install the patches mentioned by "ihavetinyballs". Oh, wait, he just made that up.

[Magius @ Sep 29th 2007 8:32AM]

What the?

Waiting for so long for this phone and AT&T picks the worst combination possible... bleh...

The person who did this must be impaired in some way.

[Bryan @ Sep 28th 2007 5:53PM]

AT&T pretty much removed everything that made this phone worth upgrading to.

No GPS
No front camera
No TomTom

paired with their craptacular service and rate plans, this is not worth it at all.

as for all the iphone users, is it really necessary to comment how cool your phone is compared to every phone that is shown here? every phone has its pros and cons. i dont write about how WM6 > Iphone, etc so please grow up.

heres an article that iphone users might find useful:

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant

great advice ;)

[randomguy @ Sep 29th 2007 12:15PM]

True the AT&T tilt will differ from the Kaiser but it will still be the most powerfull PDA distributed by any U.S carrier hands down. One thing I you may not know is the Tilt will have double the memory and processor speed of the 8525. The 8525 has a 400Mhz processor while the Tilt will have the new dual core 400Mhz chips. When you are not running multiple apps the Tilt will actually shut down the 2nd core to conserve battery. The phone will be capable of running on the 3.6Mbps HSDPA platform once AT&T takes that next step. It WILL have integrated GPS as well, true the VGA front camera has been removed but even if you get a kaiser, AT&T is the only company in the states that offers video share as a feature and you have to pay to play. I also heard down the road when AT&T rolls out the WM6.1 ROM update that will include the video share feature for the Tilt. This will also be the first WM device that can run on a Blackberry exchange server and the Blackberry internet server for POP3 and IMAP4 accts. For all the people that complain about data plans, your like the guy that walks into a Bentley dealership and asks how much one costs, if you gotta ask then you probably can't afford it. Maybe you should just go to Virgin mobile, I hear they have penny messaging :-O

[Alex @ Sep 30th 2007 11:11AM]

isnt this "tilt" patented by samsung?? the k5..

[herman @ Nov 4th 2007 12:30AM]

so the only difference between the AT&T Tilt and the TYTN II is no 3G video calls or GPS?

Sounds great to me!! i don't need either of these features, basically i need a HTC touch with a querky keyboard... that's what the AT&T Tilt seems to be... and it's $200 cheaper than the TYTN II.

I'm buying one next week!