Verizon Wireless and HTC officially announced today the release of the HTC Imagio, which will be the carrier’s first smartphone to support the V Cast Mobile TV service. The HTC Imagio features Windows Mobile 6.5, a 3.6″ WVGA touchscreen display, a 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB ROM/256MB RAM, a 5 megapixel camera CDMA and Quad-band GSM support just to name a few.

Key Features:

• Global roaming capabilities with data access in more than 185 destinations (Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 + 2100 HSPA)
• High-speed connectivity in the United States over Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Broadband network (CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A 800/1900 MHz)
• Support for Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• Large 3.6” LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480 x 800 WVGA resolution
• 3.5-mm audio jack and five quick launch buttons, including one-touch access to multimedia capabilities
• On-screen QWERTY keyboard for fast and easy typing
• 1500 mAh battery delivers extended operating time

Screenshots:

HTC Imagio Official Press Release

Here’s an unboxing and hands-on review video from SlashGear:

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES for work and play WITH the HTC Imagio Exclusively from verizon wireless

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and BELLEVUE, Wash. – Verizon Wireless and HTC today introduce the HTC Imagio™, a stylish multimedia smartphone that combines an intuitive user interface with global roaming capabilities for data access in more than 185 destinations. Verizon Wireless’ first smartphone to support V CAST Mobile TV, the Imagio brings news, sports and entertainment from popular broadcast channels to life on its extra-large 3.6” color display. The HTC Imagio’s mobile productivity is made possible by Windows Mobile® 6.5. It is a Windows® phone that is engineered to keep customers connected to both entertainment and work.

Key features:

* Global roaming capabilities with data access in more than 185 destinations (Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 + 2100 HSPA)
* High-speed connectivity in the United States over Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Broadband network (CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A 800/1900 MHz)
* Support for Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
* Large 3.6” LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480 x 800 WVGA resolution
* 3.5-mm audio jack and five quick launch buttons, including one-touch access to multimedia capabilities
* On-screen QWERTY keyboard for fast and easy typing
* 1500 mAh battery delivers extended operating time

Lifestyle features:

* Support for Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Mobile TV and V CAST Video on Demand services, while the Imagio’s V CAST Mobile TV antenna doubles as a convenient kickstand for easy, hands-free viewing
* Support for Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music with Rhapsody service gives customers access to millions of songs to download over the air; get the master copy of the songs on their PCs; and sync their favorite tracks, albums and playlists from their PCs to their phones using a separately-sold USB cable
* Complete Windows Mobile® 6.5 Professional support with Microsoft® Office Mobile and Microsoft Office® Outlook® Mobile
* Fully-customizable home screen with ability to add applications of interest
* Integrated communications and seamless access to social networks
* Intuitive HTC TouchFLO™ 3D interface to allow for easy navigation between menus
* 5.0 megapixel camera with auto focus to capture memories with friends and family

Price and availability:

* The HTC Imagio will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning Oct. 6 and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning Oct. 20 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
* Monthly access package for V CAST Mobile TV is $15 per month.

V CAST Mobile TV

As Verizon Wireless’ first smartphone to support V CAST Mobile TV, HTC Imagio customers can enjoy the best of broadcast and cable television programming – including live shows and other mobile television content – 24 hours a day from many of the best-known entertainment brands including Bravo, CBS, CBS College Sports, CBS News, CNBC, Comedy Central, ESPN, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio, FOX, FOX News, FOX Sports, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Tr3́s, NBC, NBC Sports, NBC News, and Nickelodeon. The live mobile TV service is provided by FLO TV Incorporated. For the latest information on V CAST Mobile TV from Verizon Wireless, including programs, handsets, pricing and availability, visit the V CAST Mobile TV Web site at www.verizonwireless.com/mobiletv.

The HTC Imagio is no iPhone killer but it is a feature-packed smartphone that has a lot of features that can attract a lot of customers. The HTC Imagio will be available online on October 6th and in Verizon Wireless stores nationwide on October 20th and will retail for $199.99 with a new two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

HTC fans here in the US, especially those on AT&T have long been waiting for the newer version or successor to the popular AT&T Tilt aka HTC TyTn II. Several days ago, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, HTC announced the release of the HTC Touch Pro2.

HTC Touch Pro 2

Designed for business professionals, the HTC Touch Pro2 is architected with distinct style and strength while delivering the most powerful productivity experience available on a mobile phone. Leveraging HTC’s TouchFLO 3D, people-centric communication and Push Internet technology, the Touch Pro2 features a high-resolution 3.6-inch widescreen VGA display for an expanded viewing area and large finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard. With improved battery life, expandable memory, a touch-sensitive zoom bar as well as gravity, proximity and ambient light sensors, the Touch Pro2 is optimized for touch as well as heavy email use.

Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7200A™, 528 MHz
• Operating System: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Memory: ROM: 512 MB, RAM: 288 MB
• Dimensions: 116 X 59.2 X 17.25 mm (4.57 X 2.33 X 0.68 inches)
• Weight: 175 grams (6.17 ounces) with battery
• Display: 3.6-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen, 480 X 800 WVGA resolution, Adjustable tilt screen
• Network: HSDPA/WCDMA: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz, Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
• Network: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Europe/Asia: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, (Band frequency, HSUPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.)
• Device Control: TouchFLO™ 3D, Zoom bar
• Keyboard: Slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard
• GPS: Internal GPS antenna
• Connectivity: Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets, Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g, HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0, audio jack, and TV Out* in one)
• Main camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
• Second camera: VGA CMOS color camera
• Audio formats: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A
• Video formats: WMV, ASF, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, AVI
• Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, Capacity: 1500 mAh
• Talk time: Up to 270 minutes for WCDMA, Up to 419 minutes for GSM
• Standby time: Up to 454 hours for WCDMA, Up to 348 hours for GSM
• Video call time: Up to 150 minutes
• Expansion Slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• AC Adapter: Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
• DC output: 5V and 1A
• Special Features: FM Radio, G-Sensor

Additional Photos:

The HTC Touch Pro2 is not only an improved version of its predecessor, the HTC Touch Pro but a combination of the TyTN II, Touch Pro and the HTC Touch HD with features like tilting screen, 3.6″ touch screen display and TouchFlo 3D.

With HTC’s Straight Talk technology providing crystal-clear sound quality/voice reception and built-in loudspeaker and dedicated noise-cancelling microphone, the HTC Touch Pro2 can make superior quality conference calls. Another cool feature in the HTC Touch Pro2 is the one that activates speakerphone when the phone is flipped upside down.

The slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard looks really nice, the keys are not cramped and are well spaced out, numbers and special characters get their own dedicated keypads which makes it easier to use for sending emails or text messages. The HTC Touch Pro2′s keyboard has a close resemblance to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X1‘s keyboard, which coincidentally was designed and manufactured by HTC for Sony Ericsson.

The HTC Touch Pro2 will be available in global markets, Europe and Asia by early summer. No word on when it will be available here in the US/North America or which carrier gets it, but hopefully they’ll release it here later this year and hopefully AT&T gets it.

[image source: HTC.com]

For folks like me who were expecting/hoping for the HTC Touch HD to be released in the US, this device might be a consolation. A few days ago, HTC revealed their latest release, the all new HTC Touch Cruise (09) which is a remake of one of their popular handsets two years ago, a GPS mobile device called the HTC Touch Cruise.

HTC Touch Cruise Specifications:

• Size: 102 x 53.5 x 14.5mm
• Weight: 103 grams
• Connectivity: WCDMA/HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with QVGA resolution
• Control panel: HTC TouchFLO™, 4-Way navigation wheel with Enter and HTC Footprints™ buttons
• Camera: 3.2 MP, with fixed focus
• Internal memory: 512 MB flash ROM, 256 MB RAM
• Expansion Slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• Bluetooth: 2.0 with EDR
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• GPS: GPS/A-GPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB (mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
• Battery: 1100 mAh
• Talk time: GSM: up to 400 minutes
• Standby time: GSM: up to two weeks
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7225™, 528 MHz

Additional Photos:

For those of you who haven’t seen the predecessor or the first HTC Touch Cruise, here’s a photo:

The HTC Touch Cruise will be the first mobile phone to make use of the HTC Footprints button. What this application does is it lets users created and send digital postcards that contain images, sound and notes. Like its predecessor, the new Touch Cruise is also an in-car navigation system. All you need to do is place it on the car cradle (included in the package) and the HTC Touch Cruise becomes a touch screen GPS navigation device that provides turn-by-turn directions.

Like the HTC Touch HD, the Touch Cruise (09) features a full touchscreen user interface and doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard. This might be a turn off for some users especially those who use their mobile devices for sending emails. Other than that, the HTC Touch Cruise (09) looks to be a promising mobile device and is definitely a prettier and better version than its predecessor.

The HTC Touch Cruise is scheduled to be released worldwide this spring. Good news for HTC fans here in the US, an unlocked GSM version will be available with a retail price of around $500-600.

[via BGR]