AT&T's official press materials might coyly say that the HTC Tilt 2 will launch "in the coming weeks," but we just noticed that an official Windows Mobile 6.5 PR blast we got from Microsoft lists Blue's take on the Touch Pro2 as launching October 18. Sounds about right, we'd say -- anyone planning to grab one?

Update: We were just sent an internal AT&T memo that says the Tilt 2 is actually being stocked and sold to business customers as of today, but that it won't go widely on sale until the 18th. So, our question stands, with an addendum -- anyone planning on pretending to a businessperson today in order to grab one?

This "pre-launch" list of upcoming AT&T phones leaked out today, and it's pretty interesting -- in addition to the BlackBerry 9700, it also features the illusory Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60, which finally looks like it'll be coming to the US just a short 18 months after first being announced. Other notables include the HTC Tilt 2 and something called the HTC Pure, which Boy Genius Report says may be a variant of the Snap. No Android or webOS on this list, sadly, but hey -- the nüvifone is coming. Can you feel the excitement?

Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Wednesday, July 15th, 2009:

• Pantech's SKY division has announced the IM-S480S "Tilt" flip for the South Korean market to be offered through carrier SK Telecom. It's a fairly ordinary phone -- 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion -- but it apparently gets its name from its curved halves (how that evokes a name like "Tilt," we're not exactly sure) and features a trick LED bar above the keypad that can be used to indicate download progress and the like.
• Samsung has rolled out a so-called Elegant Edition of its S7350 slider in Hong Kong. It's pink and comes with a quilted pink leather pouch, so... you know, you'd better really be into pink. It also features customized "smart seasonal wallpaper" that'll change based on seasons and calendar events. [Via Unwired View]
• It looks like BlackBerry OS 5.0 will get tabbed browsing, a feature that's become virtually standard across smartphone platforms (and has even started to invade the upper dumbphone echelon recently).
• The just-announced Sony Ericsson C905a for AT&T has already started to filter into some retail locations ahead of its July 19 release, so don't give up if you've got an unquenchable, urgent yearning for this thing.

We wouldn't recommend speculating too much here, but a patent Apple filed back in October 2007 has surfaced, describing a "movement-based interfaces for personal media device." If that's not enough of an explanation, in a nutshell it's for interacting with a device by tilting and shaking. Chances are this is just for accelerometer-based commands like switching to landscape, steering virtual go-carts, and undo -- but hey, if the gang at Cupertino devise a way to control an iPhone entirely by waggle, we'll be more than happy to witness a demonstration.

[Via Unwired View]

It leaked ages ago, but the Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade for your beloved Tilt is now ever so slightly more legit now that it's made an official appearance on HTC's support site. The big draws here are Video Share support, reconfigurability for the push-to-talk button, and all the other spoils that come with the WinMo 6.1 we know and love, tolerate, or hate, depending on your disposition.

[Via MobileBurn and WMExperts, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

The good news: HTC's prepping to officially launch a Windows Mobile 6.1 update for its TyTN II any day (or week, or month) now. The better news: you can get it now. The bad news: although there are some video performance tweaks in place, they aren't exactly revolutionary -- and it's still not true video acceleration. The worst news: AT&T's Tilt update will apparently follow on at some nebulous point in the future. Got all that? So if you're lucky enough to be sporting an unbranded Kaiser of some sort, why wait? Grab the update from MoDaCo and let us know how it treats you.

As the bar for really, truly ripping another product off gets ratcheted up, leave it to Awang to make sure it keeps pace. The A9000 handset makes no attempt to veil itself from being seen as the impostor that it truly is, featuring the same QWERTY keypad, general design and tilt-ability as the long-established AT&T Tilt. Judging by the looks of things, those not ashamed with carrying around a Class-A wannabe will find Windows Mobile ("or similar") under the hood, a T-Flash expansion slot, built-in camera and a lovely stylus for good measure. We've seen creativity get slapped in the face before, but this is a bona fide low blow.

[Thanks, Steve]

For smartphone owners, firmware updates are like little Festivus presents: they're usually free to you, they're given to you by someone you love, and make your life just a little warmer and fuzzier. Alright, all three of those points are stretches, but come on, it's still just a little exciting, isn't it? AT&T's mighty Tilt has just been gifted with a new ROM that provides -- and we quote -- enhanced Bluetooth performance, DTMF tones on the QWERTY keyboard, improvements in overall performance and stability, and a newer Windows Mobile 6 AKU, this one versioned 0.4.4. Let us know how it goes, people!

[Via Mobility Site]

It's pretty clear that HTC's stance on the lack of ATI Imageon video drivers in recent devices has caused quite a stir over here at the Mob, so we thought some of you would be interested in heading over to Engadget classic to voice your opinions in poll form. This seems to be a somewhat divisive issue, so your input would be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to take part in the burgeoning comment thread: gotta keep the pressure on, right?

What can we say? The Tilt, like the Kaiser upon which it's based, is the ultimate execution of Windows Mobile 6 in this form factor. It's not for everyone, of course; Windows Mobile is the same old, cranky curmudgeon here that is is everywhere else -- and as anyone who's used version 6 knows, it's nothing more than 5 in a fresh set of clothes. That being said, HTC has done a great job of sprucing up the joint with a sprinkling of add-ins that make the OS more usable, while AT&T brings goodies like TeleNav, AT&T Music, and Cellular Video to the table. The hardware, though, is where this sucker shines. The Tilt has singlehandedly renewed our faith in HTC's ability to make exquisitely engineered devices, feeling utterly rock solid despite its relatively complex slide-tilt mechanism. It's heavy, but comfortably (and reassuringly) so, not to the point of annoyance, and the dark color scheme with black chrome nav keys looks better than we'd expected. One beef we expect some folks will have is with the Tilt's pudge -- it ain't the thinnest device in the world, about the same as the N95 (see the comparo shots in the gallery) -- but if you can get past that, this thing is the Windows Mobile device to have. For the moment, anyhow!

Bringing all of the HTC Kaiser's joy to AT&T, the Tilt has finally been set for an October 5 launch. Besides the obvious feature of a tilting display -- hence the name -- the spec sheet reveals a 3 megapixel autofocus camera, HSDPA, stereo Bluetooth, Windows Mobile 6 Professional (the first AT&T device to officially rock it -- can ya believe it?), microSDHC slot for cards up to 32GB, WiFi, an integrated GPS receiver, and BlackBerry Connect support. Last time we checked, that pretty much covers the "superphone" checklist. Grab it starting Friday for $299.99 on contract after the full suite of rebates has been applied. Follow the break for a bonus shot of the Tilt in its upright and locked position!

We figure this website wasn't intended for public consumption -- either that, or we're all invited to the "2007 National Launch Tour" for the imminently available AT&T Tilt, and we should be speaking to our regional sales managers immediately to confirm our eligibility. The picture here looks pretty much like what we'd seen of the HTC Kaiser variant in the wild, confirming that the front cam is gone (no surprise), though it's a little chubbier looking than we thought, yeah? Or is it just us? Anyway, the site gives nary a clue about when we might actually be able to get a Tilt in our hands simply by walking into a store, but happily, everything we've heard still points to an October launch. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to go track down our regional sales manager.

[Thanks, regenC]

Unlocked Kaisers are already available from your friendly local importer (and yes, it rocks, by the way), but if on-contract AT&T pricing is more to your liking, the wait may have just gotten a little longer. We're hearing unconfirmed reports that the 8925 Tilt -- AT&T's branded version of the Kaiser -- has been pushed back a few weeks from its September 25 release window thanks to some pesky network certification issues. You know, those tests that cause a phone mentioned in December of one year to be released late the following year (pardon if we sound bitter). Anyway, the phones have apparently been shipped back to HTC for some last-minute rejiggering; with any luck, we'll still see 'em before October's out if the rumor's true. If this ends up being nothing more than a case of a few misinformed AT&T reps, though, make sure to bring enough cash on your shopping trip next Tuesday for both the Tilt and Halo 3, k?

[Thanks, John L.]

We've just been tipped on a fresh roadmap for AT&T's fall launches, and goodness, there's a little something for everyone in here! Note that these are order dates, subject to change -- not necessarily in-store dates -- so your mileage may vary trying to grab these devices on the dates you see here. First up, LG rolls out the CG180 and CU515 "Chiwoo" on October 2. Nokia adds another color for the 6555 on October 11, red, which we think will suite it quite nicely. Speaking of new colors, Sony Ericsson brings a black version of the W580i on October 9. The Pantech Duo -- a device we suspect many folks are getting fired up over -- should hit on the same day. From Motorola, the Q9 Global becomes orderable just a few days from now, September 25, alongside the Tilt from HTC. UTStarcom outs the AMOI-sourced 5700 on October 9, giving folks a low cost (albeit non-3G) Windows Mobile option. RIM gets busy with the Curve 8310 on October 4, effectively sunsetting the original 8300 by adding GPS into the mix. On the data modem side, Sierra and Option will both be contributing HSUPA devices in October. Let's hear it for speedy uploads! Follow the break for the full roadmap.

[Thanks, Superman]