Now that the 6.5 fat cats like the Imagio and Pure have had their fun for a few weeks, it's high time that the love start to trickle down to older upgrade-less devices, and as promised, Microsoft's now obliging with a Windows Marketplace download that'll work on phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1. As far as we can tell, there aren't any material differences in this version, and Microsoft is quick to remind everyone that you don't need the download if you're running 6.5 -- so while you patiently wait for an upgrade, owners, you may as well get a taste for the good stuff now.

[Thanks, Chris]

Can you imagine Dell or HP selling a Vista laptop a couple months from now? No, you probably can't -- but we've got the mobile equivalent of that faux-pas going on here with MetroPCS' introduction of the rumored Code from Samsung, a portrait QWERTY device with EV-DO, a 2 megapixel camera, and microSD expansion up to 32GB. To be fair, WinMo 6.5 does far less for Standard than it does for Professional over its 6.1 equivalent, but still, it's just a little awkward for all parties involved. If you can get past that minor oversight, though, check it out now at your local retailer for $299 contract-free.

We finally got a good, hard look at the Verizon-customized version of Samsung's Omnia II, and we've got good news and bad news: the good news is that the phone's a darker, more reasonable shade in person than it was in that press shot we'd seen before, but the bad news is that we've confirmed it's running 6.1. Anyone daring to release a 6.1 phone at this point is at serious risk of getting laughed out of the room unless they offer an upgrade path mere minutes afterwards, so we're hoping that by the time this is on shelves, it'll either be running 6.5 out of the box or there'll be an update program announced in conjunction with the release. Otherwise, the display's absolutely phenomenal (indoors, anyhow) and TouchWiz seems to work as well as it did on the original model, though scrolling through menus got a bit laggy at times -- isn't it kinda weird that a years-old platform can practically max out a circa-2009 device? Check out a quick gallery below.

Kempler & Strauss -- which pretty much came out of nowhere this week to announce a pair of 3G WinMo devices and a watchphone -- is pulling out all the stops here at CTIA to get its new products noticed, so everything they've got is on display and ready to use (or in some cases, wear). First up are the Billionair B6 and B7, full touch and portrait QWERTY WinMo devices respectively that currently run 6.1 -- but we're told that 6.5 upgrades will be available by the end of the year. Neither phone looks that awesome and feel generally cheap; the B6 borrows styling cues from the original HTC Touch, to boot, so there's an overall KIRFy feel to the thing. The skin they've dropped atop the operating system is pretty uninspiring, too -- though many WinMo skins look uninspiring when they're up against something thoroughly modern like a recent build of TouchFLO 3D. The phones' saving grace might be the fact that they're cheap -- sub-$300 -- and in the case of the B7, the combo portrait keyboard / QVGA touchscreen is still a nice, sadly too-rare combo.

Turning our attention to the more interesting device of the trio, the W is a watchphone that employs a pretty standard GUI we've seen on similar models, but this one employs perhaps the most livable styling that we've seen this side of an LG GD910, and it all comes at a small fraction of the price. The touchscreen doesn't come with a traditional stylus, per se, but instead you get a "communicator" accessory that functions as a combination stylus / Bluetooth handsfree / remote control -- pretty cool, although we'd feel pretty silly (and sad) if we misplaced it. At $200, we could almost justify buying one of these just for the sheer novelty of it -- just don't expect desktop-class browsing on that display, and you should be a happy camper.

With the Imagio having just launched and the Omnia II coming down the pike, it's easy to be lulled into the false sense of security that Verizon subscribers will soon have their pick of several high-end smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5 this month. Sure, the Touch Pro2 runs 6.1 for the time being, but the Omnia II must be hitting with 6.5 at launch -- right? Not so fast; WMExperts alleges that when Samsung's latest US-bound smartphone hits later this month, it'll have 6.1 loaded, and although a 6.5 update is eventually planned, it won't come "for a while." That's a huge disappointment if true, and it'll be a tough situation to explain if they've got the Imagio launching on the 6th with 6.5 and the Omnia II comes, say, two weeks later with an operating system nearly two years older (not to say we expect the jump from 6.1 to 6.5 feel like two years' worth of improvement, but still). Heck, we can't believe we're saying this, but we think it might even be worth their while to delay the phone by a few weeks if it meant they'd be able to be on shelves with 6.5 from day one -- but maybe that's why we're writers and not Verizon marketing strategists.

[Via pocketnow.com]

We'd hypothesized that neither Sprint nor T-Mobile wouldn't be able to hold out long at the positively ridiculous $349.99 on-contract price point they'd both set for the HTC Touch Pro2 out of the gate, and it looks like at least one of the two might finally be getting the hint. Sprint's now rumored to be bringing the beastly smartphone down to $199 after mail-in rebate, which would match Verizon's current pricing -- a move Sprint simply had to make, especially considering that the carrier typically positions itself as a value brand. Hopefully this rumor pans out, in which case T-Mobile will be looking pretty silly if they hold out at $350; if they capitulate, that'll put all of the currently-released US Touch Pro2s under the magic $200 mark and put a ton of pressure on AT&T to stay in line by the time it drops the green flag.

[Thanks, Guy]

C'mon folks, say it with us now: "Finally!" After T-Mobile USA and Sprint decided to charge two arms and three-quarters of a leg for HTC's fancy-but-not-world-changing Touch Pro2, Verizon Wireless has stepped in to show those other guys how to price a phone appropriately. Big Red's version of the WinMo 6.1-packin' handset will be available starting tomorrow (just as we'd heard) for $199.99 on contract, though that is after a $100 mail-in rebate. You already know what to expect in terms of specifications -- 3.6-inch WVGA tilting touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera, a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, built-in GPS for VZ Navigator and a microSD expansion slot. Now, there's just the decision to overlook Sprint's Any Mobile, Anytime plan or not...

So, any luck socking away $350 worth crisp, unmarked, non-sequential US currency over the past week since the Touch Pro2 was officially announced for Sprint? If so, we'd just like to offer a friendly reminder that you can now head over to Sprint's online store to place your order -- and yes, that $349.99 you'll be shelling out is after rebate and discount on a new two-year contract. Being second doesn't come cheap, it seems.

[Thanks, Wilson]

Alright, so maybe a square Nokia isn't your style -- we understand. Maybe you'd like something a little more businesslike, something with a little more Exchange ActiveSync flair and a keyboard with room to spare. What you're looking for, we reckon, is the Touch Pro2 -- and now that Sprint and T-Mobile both have it, it's Verizon's turn to get real with HTC's latest QWERTY beast. Knowing full well that this is a businessperson's dream, HTC and Verizon have gone ahead and stuffed EDGE in there to keep you connected while you're abroad; otherwise, you've got the same WVGA resolution, 3.2 megapixel cam, GPS, and WiFi as the other guys, and just like Sprint, you're signed up for that all-important 3.5mm headphone jack. Global capability doesn't come cheap in this case, though: expect to pay $299.99 on a two-year deal before a $100 mail-in rebate.

Alltel customers -- totally legit ones who've been left out of the Verizon integration -- have a few things going for them, not the least of which is a one-year contract policy that applies across the lineup. That means you can get a Tour for the same two bills you'd pay on Sprint or Verizon but with only half the time commitment, but now, it also means you can get an HTC Snap (generic version pictured above) for just $80. Considering it's the same form factor with international roaming capability that the Tour offers, that might be $120 worth saving if you're not married to BlackBerry OS and you're willing to give WinMo a fair shake. That's not so crazy of an idea, is it?

[Via Phone Scoop]

We figured the suits over at T-Mobile USA were on some of that good stuff when they slapped an almost comical $350 (on contract) price tag on HTC's Touch Pro2, but evidently said "stuff" has made its way into the halls of Overland Park as well. After months of watching evidence mount, Sprint has finally come clean and admitted that HTC's EV-DO Rev. A-equipped superphone is coming to its network, and with it will come access to Sprint TV as well as NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile apps. The smartphone will go on sale September 8th, though you'll have to pony up $349.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) in order to secure one on a two-year contract. We're all about that 3.6-inch WVGA tilting screen, but with Palm's Pre selling on this very network for a full $150 less, we're thinking this one won't appeal to many outside of the WinMo faithful.

Jumpin' Jehoshaphat! With Apple lowering the smartphone price bar with its last-gen iPhone 3G at $99, any well-specced phone hitting the airwaves these days for over a buck ninety-nine on contract just seems outrageous. And then, there's this. T-Mobile USA has somehow found it within its heart to charge a near-astronomical $349.99 (on a two-year agreement, no less) for HTC's latest WinMo-packin' powerhouse, the Touch Pro2. Look, we aren't saying the phone isn't worth its weight in gold, but a quick look around the marketplace shows just how out of place this obscenely large asking price really is. The silver lining? We're betting this slips beneath the $200 mark just as soon as the HTC fanboys have chipped in their early adopter fees (and it hits every other carrier in America).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Followers, fans, and casual observers of HTC alike all know that when the company launches a new landscape QWERTY model, it's a big deal. In fact, it's more than a big deal -- it's a Big Deal. Many describe it as the ultimate smartphone form factor, the perfect execution of everything a modern handset is capable of doing -- and realistically, no company has as much experience or know-how at making powerhouse landscape QWERTY sliders than HTC does.

That's why droves of subscribers on virtually every carrier are on the edge of their seats awaiting the Touch Pro2's release. Whether you love, hate, or feel nothing but pure, unadulterated ambivalence toward Windows Mobile, it's hard to argue that the Pro2 isn't a gorgeous smartphone at a distance, and T-Mobile USA's gently-tweaked version is no exception. Unless you're desperate for SLR-quality photography (which you're frankly not going to get regardless of what phone you buy), the spec sheet reads like a dream -- an expansive 3.6-inch WVGA display, full QWERTY, tilt-up display, all the 3G and WiFi you could ever want, and HTC's latest and greatest build of TouchFLO 3D constantly working to make sure that WinMo cleans up nice -- but is it true love or just lipstick on a pig? Let's have a look.

Alright, listen up: we're going to play a little game we like to call, "what carrier isn't getting the Touch Pro2?" Sound easy? Not so fast, partner -- this bad boy gets around like a record, if you know what we're saying. In fact, the beefy, all-business WinMo superphone is well on its way to becoming the first handset carried by every top-tier North American carrier in we-don't-know-how-long (granted, we don't have solid intel on Bell or Rogers, but we wouldn't be surprised to see them coming). We suspected AT&T was signed up for it some time ago, and now we've got it snapped in the flesh, complete with an AT&T logo conveniently assigned as the function on the down key. We don't know when this'll be available, but seeing how all notions of exclusivity appear to be out of the window on this one, we could see an announcement any day now. Better list that Fuze on eBay now, ladies and gentlemen.

[Thanks, Ahres]

Update: It'd stand to reason that this is going to be branded Tilt 2 in light of the screen shot posted earlier; kinda strange that AT&T would return to the Tilt branding, but... you know, marketing departments work in mysterious ways that we'll never understand.

With Garmin-Asus' nüvifone G60 already on sale in Asia, it makes sense to hear that said smartphone will soon make its way over to North American soil. Of course, it also made sense to think that this thing would be launching on AT&T about forever and a day ago, so we're not holding our collective breath just yet. At any rate, Garmin recently made abundantly clear on a quarter-end conference call that the GPS-infused handset is in the final testing stages with an undisclosed amount of US carriers, and if all goes well, it'll hit the streets in Q4. What's crazy is that every last specification remains unchanged from when it was announced back in January of 2008; meanwhile, Apple has shipped two new iterations of its iPhone, Android has blown up significantly and even Motorola and Palm have seemingly resurrected themselves from the grave. Knowing all that, will anyone even bother to show up to snag one in "just a few months?"