Windows Mobile 6
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HTC S620 finally sees Windows Mobile 6 update
As promised back in April of this year -- well, the ROM upgrade was promised the date was the fuzzy bit -- the S620 is finally ready for its big day via a Windows Mobile 6 update. All you need to do to let your device soak up the glory is to hit up the HTC site, sign up for the free HTC e-Club membership -- if you haven't already -- and follow the instructions for your device. Good luck with this and remember, when flashing your handset everything will be wiped, so back it up before you get started.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Cooked WinMo 6 ROM verified for PPC-6700, XV6700
Well ladies and gents, it seems the rumored Windows Mobile 6 update for the Sprint PPC-6700 / Verizon XV6700 is looking a little more legit. True to his word, ppcgeeks user Helmi_c showed us that the proof is indeed in the pudding with a goodly pile of pics of what appears to be a real handset running the updated operating system. It should be dropping tomorrow -- though no word of an exact time -- so feel free to hit the gallery we've put together while you wait.%Gallery-6622%
Samsung SGH-i620 smart slider gets official
Though we think we prefer it in white, Samsung's follow-on to the i600 and its variants -- the compact SGH-i620 slider -- is now official. Taking the wraps off at Berlin's IFA show this week, Samsung is calling attention to the unit's small size (just 95 x 59 x 16mm closed), jog dial navigation, HSDPA, and inclusion of Windows Mobile 6 out of the box. No word on a stateside release, but like its immediate predecessor, Samsung would have to craft a new version with the right bands anyhow since this one's rocking out with triband GSM and UMTS 2100. Expect a release in Germany, presumably on Vodafone, in September.[Via the::unwired]
HTC's HT1100 (Nike) with TouchFLO lives... on Japan's DoCoMo
There it is, the HTC HT1100, aka Nike, aka the Touch II WinMo 6 Professional slider we've been anticipating. This FOMA handset packs HSDPA (naturally, for DoCoMo) and GSM for international roaming while representing HTC's second handset to feature the TouchFLO interface. The QVGA display has been trimmed back to 2.6-inches while the sliding keypad chunks it up a bit to 112 x 51 x 16.9-mm / 130-grams. 802.11a/b/g WiFi, SIP support, Bluetooth, 2 megapixel camera (with a 1 megapixeler up front), FM tuner (?), and microSD round out the specs. So it's official, now we just need a release a bit say, closer to home.
Palm rolls out WM6 upgrade for Vodafone's Treo 750v
Still no love for AT&T customers just yet, but Palm's Treo 750 is slowly transforming from a Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC to a Windows Mobile 6 Professional device across the globe. Following an earlier Australian announcement, it now seems that the official upgrade is available to customers of the Vodafone variant -- the 750v, naturally -- in the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Even better, the free download flips the switch on HSDPA, but careful: it's one download per customer for whatever reason, so make sure you drop it on a hard drive that's not seconds away from crashing.[Via the::unwired]
Windows Mobile 6 promised for Apache owners on Friday
Although frankly the benefits they'll see are marginal -- especially if they've already upgraded their handsets to AKU 3 -- many Sprint PPC-6700 / Verizon XV6700 devotees will nevertheless be delighted to learn that xda-developers forum member helmi_c is promising an Apache-compatible build of Windows Mobile 6 to be released this Friday, and he's got the screenshots that claim to prove it. As tipster Joey put it, "many of us [6700] owners have been kinda left out in the cold with no WM6 love for the 6700," but where manufacturers and carriers fail to act, you can usually count on the tireless community over at xda-developers to provide a solution -- and from the looks of things, helmi_c's build even trumps the standard upgrade by cooking the HTC Touch interface right in. Good stuff if it does indeed pan out, so we'll keep you posted.Update: Helmi_c wrote in to let us know that he is actually based out of the ppcgeeks community, and the links in this post were quickly adjusted accordingly. Because seriously, would you want to step in between factions of highly motivated geeks and developers? No thanks.[Thanks, Joey S.]
Hands-on with the HTC Advantage X7501
Take a peek inside the mind of a good many mobile power users and you'll find two diametrically opposed, seemingly contradictory voices locked in an eternal struggle: one demanding as much power, speed, and capability as possible, the other crying out for portability (and heck, maybe even fashion). HTC has a long, storied track record of trying its darndest to satisfy every possible smartphone market segment by designing and offering devices spanning the full range of size, appearance, and capability, meeting the needs of those two voices to various degrees. Now that we have that mental imagery set up, let us be clear from the outset -- the Advantage X7501 feeds heaping loads of happiness to the power voice while mercilessly beating the portability voice into submission.%Gallery-6402%
Alltel launches HTC PPC6800
Gee, Verizon, go ahead and take your time there, will ya? Alltel follows up Sprint to become the second network in the US to launch HTC's next-gen CDMA Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset (Alltel's site claims it's Windows Mobile 5, but we're not believing that -- check the screen shots), offering WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, 2 megapixel cam, and just about all the EV-DO you can handle as the HTC PPC6800. Grab it for $549 off contract, or $249 after two-year agreement and a $100 snail mail rebate.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Australia gets HTC P3600i, complete with Windows Mobile 6
Looks like those that call Down Under home have been blessed with yet another option in the smartphone department, as HTC has apparently launched the P3600i in your neck of the woods. Deemed an "HTC P3600 with a faster CPU and more ROM," this Windows Mobile 6 device looks to be an Asia-Pacific exclusive for now, and touts quad-band GSM, 802.11g, a two-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, 160MB of internal memory, a miniSD expansion slot, and UMTS / HSDPA to boot. Best of all, it's available right now on 3.[Via UnwiredView]
Windows Mobile 6 unofficially meets Dell's Axim X51v
If you think you've seen this headline before, fret not, all but one measly number is indeed the same. Of course, for Axim X51v owners, that makes all the difference in the world. Just days after Windows Mobile 6 was unofficially made available for the X50v, now X51v owners can experience the same luxury -- if you're down with voiding that warranty and living with a few bugs, that is. Reportedly, some upgraders have seen issues (or outright failures) with WiFi connectivity, Windows Live, and a number of other somewhat minor features, so be sure and read your fill before heedlessly slapping a new OS on your discontinued PDA.[Via DownloadSquad]
HTC P4350 Herald gets Windows Mobile 6 update
HTC's slowly coming around on Windows Mobile 6 upgrades for its full suite of recent self-branded handsets, thank goodness. Latest to get blessed is the P4350, HTC's very own rendition of its thin, EDGE-only QWERTY slider. Of course, if you've had a T-Mobile Wing, you've been feeling this love for quite some time now -- but if the HTC logo rests atop your unit, go grab yourself an update, will ya?[Via the::unwired]
Three of i-mate's five Ultimate devices canceled?
We wish we could say we were surprised about this, we really do. It seems that i-mate has canceled arguably the three most interesting versions of its Ultimate line: the 5150 slider, 7150 QWERTY flip, and 9150 numeric flip. Remaining and now apparently scheduled for October production are the 8150 numeric candybar and keypadless 6150, devices that could be considered pretty uninteresting by the time they enter a market rife with 3G capable Windows Mobile 6 hardware. So far, this is all unconfirmed -- it's being reported by a UK retail firm, Clove Technology -- but it seems plausible considering that the 7150 and 9150 have taken on a certain air of vaporeware-ness that the FCC approved 6150 has not. We have to admit, we're a little surprised that the 5150 bit the dust since it's nothing more than a slider grafted to a 6150, but considering the strength of its competition, it's probably for the best.[Via All About Symbian]Update: Crave Asia is reporting that i-mate says all five devices are still on track, but will be released on a "staggered" schedule starting with the 6150 and 8150. We'll keep you updated as we hear more.
Motorola shows shots of the Q9m for Verizon
Just in case there was any doubt that Motorola's Q9m for Verizon was real, well, this should put it to rest. Moto dropped a handful of press shots of its CDMA-ified Q9 the other day, including this one of the Windows Mobile 6 Standard -- that's "Smartphone" in WM5 nomenclature, if you recall -- handset in some sort of protective case (at least, we hope that's what it is). Thinking back to the amount of time that elapsed between the RAZR MAXX Ve's press shot release and its eventual launch, we could still be in for a bit of a wait -- but at least it's real, yeah?
HTC Iris S640 CDMA smartphone outed by FCC
It's been just under two months since getting a whiff of the forthcoming S640, and now it's time for US-based CDMA users to (officially) celebrate, as FCC documentation has finally outed the HTC Iris S640. The paperwork shows that the smartphone will indeed operate on CDMA850 / 1900 bands, include WiFi and Bluetooth, offer up EV-DO connectivity, and sport USB for syncing and charging. Additionally, the handset will reportedly tout a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution LCD and a two-megapixel camera, and while it doesn't look like this one will be aimed at the elitists in the crowd, it should do quite well as a low-to-mid-range smartphone on whichever CDMA carrier(s) it ends up on.[Via MobilitySite]
HP looking to rebuild PDA, smartphone empires?
Once the glittering crown jewel of the Windows Mobile world, HP has sat back, taken it easy on R&D, and watched its empire dwindle to an empty husk of what it once was. The reasons are unclear, but other manufacturers have certainly had no qualms about rushing in to fill the void -- most notably HTC, the ODM largely responsible for HP's success in the first place. Does it stand a chance of reclaiming the throne? Eh, with so many competitors in the game at this point, probably not, but that may not stop it from trying. Rumors have been swirling the last few days that HP will surround its iPAQ 510 Windows Mobile 6 Standard smartphone with a wide variety of devices positioned both above and below it, and if the details pan out, there could definitely be a few winners in the bunch. The 600 series is said to be similar to the 510 in form factor -- candybar with a numeric keypad -- but will add tri-band HSDPA, a touch sensitive navigation wheel, double the RAM and ROM, and will sport Windows Mobile Professional in place of Standard. The 900 should be largely similar, but trades the numeric keypad for a QWERTY version. Word on the street is that these should be announced in September with availability late in the year -- if it all turns out to be true, we wish the best of luck to ya, HP!
UBiQUiO 501 owners, come get your free WM6 upgrade
Seems like pretty much every manufacturer big and small alike -- with some notable exceptions -- has come out of the woodwork to do the right thing and offer its customers an upgrade to Microsoft's latest and greatest. Most recent to loose a Windows Mobile 6 update is TechFaith's UBiQUiO brand, covering its 501 model with all the WM6 Pro you can handle at no charge. Seeing how these things can be picked up for well under $400 unlocked, it seems like the 501 might be a decent way to get oneself onto platform du jour outta Redmond -- if the lack of 3G is tolerable, anyway.[Via the::unwired and MoDaCo]
Windows Mobile 6 unofficially meets Dell's Axim X50v
Sure, it's been nearly three full years since Dell's Axim X50v was the envy of all your neighbors, and while you aren't likely to find any official updates for the PDA coming out of Round Rock anytime soon, there's (nearly) nothing an engineering mind can't whip up. That said, folks dreaming about migrating Windows Mobile 6 onto their X50v can snap out of it and get to work, as a pioneering individual has apparently managed to do just that. 'Course, we'd recommend that you think long and hard before installing unofficial software onto your handheld, but if you're the mettlesome type, feel free to hit the read link and try 'er out.[Via DownloadSquad]
Telus Windows Mobile 6 update for P4000 is live
The wait is over patient Telus P4000 users, the Windows Mobile 6 update is here. After seeing the recent flow of HTC updates, it is grand to see a provider on top of its game and delivering the goods in a timely manner. The update process is well documented and even includes the steps and numbers needed to reprogram your phone's settings via Over-The-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) once the update is in. Of course, if you've never flashed your handset before, know that all contents of your handset are wiped during the process, so back up any important stuff before you get started. Hit the read link to begin the quest to Windows Mobile 6 glory.[Via PocketPCThoughts]
Palm gets official with Treo 750's WM6 upgrade -- in Australia
The good news is that the official Windows Mobile 6 Professional update for the Treo 750 is just around the corner; the bad news, though, is that you probably can't have it yet unless you're lucky enough to live in one particular corner of the world. Following countless incognito shots of WM6-sporting 750s in the wild, an imminent official announcement was pretty much a foregone conclusion -- though we admittedly never suspected Australia would be the first to get the hookup. Specifically, customers of the Australian branch of Hutchison 3 will be able to download the update free of charge starting mid-month, with "other customers" following on in September. Whether "other customers" includes AT&T is unclear, but we're keeping our fingers tightly crossed.[Via istartedsomething]
HTC Advantage now available, $899 at retail
HTC today announced official US availability of its mobile monster (and we do mean "monster"), the Advantage. Known alternately as the Athena and X7501, the sucker rocks pretty much every feature one could want in a pocketable device: 256MB of onboard ROM, 128MB of RAM, 8GB hard drive, HSDPA 850 / 1900 alongside quadband GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, 3 megapixel autofocus cam, integrated GPS, and an incredible 5 inches of VGA display madness sitting atop Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Coming in at a hefty 134 x 98 x 16mm (20mm with keyboard attached), the term "svelte" doesn't exactly apply here -- but for folks who think power trumps pocketability, this may just be their soulmate. Find it now at CompUSA and Amazon for a buck under $900.
