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.
posted Aug 10th 2009 12:20AM
Can't wait.
I'm more than a little disappointed. I loved the pairing of the Touch Pro 2 and the Touch Diamond 2 as the Fortress and the Warhawk. Those names were great. Why would they change it to something so vanilla.
looks like AT&T took a perfectly good keyboard and screwed it up... glad I'm on Sprint!
While I did like the silver color on the original HTC device, at least they didn't remap the way it was shown on the HTC Fortress render. I also like how they removed the top row numbers and added symbols to that top row while mapping fn+ numbers like a phone. I never use shorthand when messaging or emailing, so I actually use symbols more than numbers. Seems like a bunch of shortcut keys were reorganized. Nothing that was standard that I'm used to. Take all this for what it's worth, as I'm a customer who has never had an HTC device not AT&T branded.
I wouldn't say they "ruined" the keyboard. Function upgrade for the way I use. Aesthetic downgrade by my preference. But definitely not a dealbreaker. I prefer it to the other models.
Actually, I prefer the AT&T Keyboard design: with my left thumb I double-press the FN key and with my right thumb I can enter a phone number very fast. I have been doing it since the Tilt, through the Fuze and now onto T2, when it comes.
I am a long time AT&T customer. The only way that I would even think about buying this phone depends on 3 things. 1) The video capture quality has to be way better than the Fuze(which I currently own but running a custom rom). 2) There has to be a 3.5 mm audio jack. 3) It needs to have better video acceleration than the Fuze (which has virtually no video acceleration, 3d or otherwise). Its a beautiful phone with a bigger screen, but other than that the hardware is almost the same as the Fuze. If the items mentioned above are not addressed, then I will personally wait for the next line of phones with a Tegra or Snapdragon processor as the current qualcomm chipset is about to be maxed out and overwhelmed.
Its more than likely the TP2 will have a 3.5mm headset jack on ATT like Sprint/VZW.
Its less than likely any video acceleration was fixed. Its running nearly identical internals as the Fuze/Touch Pro. Until HTC stops using crappy Qualcomm 7xxx series chips I wont buy another HTC device. This is the same nonsense theyve been doing since the Mogul/Tilt/original Touch series. Time to change chipsets and get real drivers HTC.
Video capture will likely be the same. Why they decided to not upgrade the camera makes no sense when the Touch Diamond 2 got a 5mp camera. "Business" phone doesnt mean people dont want improvements for their money.
You're possibly right that the AT&T ver will come with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The front facing buttons are in the same fashion as the CDMA units, so the hardware layout may be the same (of course, the big FAT difference lies within the keyboard, which is a very big shame...)
Looks like I'll be passing by the TP2 for either the NOW available Touch HD NAM or the soon to be released HTC Thoth...
I'm sad that AT&T had to put their dirty mitts all over what HTC had long grueled over to perfect.
It also doesn't seem like Rogers is going to pick it up.. because, if they were going to, they would've done so back in July. (in accordance to all their other phones being released once they were available in international markets)
That, or maybe TELUS has an exclusivity thing going on right now. The first Touch Diamond was just like that, where Rogers had to wait a month or two to pick it up.
Hopefully, if they come out with it, they won't mess things up, and they'll keep the keyboard the same, just like TELUS.
damn and vzw is know messing things up but..... sorry about the keyboard at&t customer's, it looks like it's running wm 6.5
I just don't understand why AT&T has to take something good and mess it up. Why, AT&T, why?
On the flipside, I'm liking the silver lining around the phone. That part looks nice. And the hardware keys is like the stock TP2, which is also good. Saw the T-mobile version.. and it's ugly.
And WM 6.5 is nice.
AT&T ruins the keyboard again. If they had left it alone I'd have a Fuze right now.
Those keys look HUGE
It's unfortunate AT&T screwed this device up. They really should have left the keyboard alone. I have 2 major questions/concerns...
1: Why does AT&T screw up a nice color scheme and keyboard?
2: Why doesn't HTC sell an unlocked version with North American 3G bands? People on AT&T should be allowed to vote with their wallets. That is the benefit of GSM, right? So why is HTC stripping North american GSM users of this benefit?
@dissapointed.
You hit the nail. It's AT&T greed.
I bet AT&T conditions his contract with HTC with a NO 850 band clause for everybody else.
Is there a special phone number or e-mail address to send AT&T a message about how they always seem to screw up something. I mean seriously every keyboard they get from a manufacture has to be 100% jacked when AT&T gets their redesign department involved. I was perfectly fine with the nice green color on the original HTC keyboard but no AT&T has to include their hint of blue and rearrange some keys so it looks like they did something. Wow, I guess if they are going to call it the Tilt 2 they need to include their original screwed up Tilt keyboard layout as well. Keep up the great tradition AT&T! Thanks for listening to your customers! AT&T does not understand sarcasm.
I love the color scheme, but I hate the layout of the keyboard.
Looking at it, we can tell it's running WM 6.5, but I seriously doubt that this phone is going to ship like this, since 6.5 hasn't been finalized, so this phone has been modded. I wish we can see what the battery cover looks like and if it has a 3.5mm jack. I think it wont have the 3.5mm because none of the phones that use GSM bands do except the CDMA phones, but we'll have to wait and see for updated photos.
Check out the reflection in the photo. Can anyone make out the AT&T employee's nametag? I can't make it out ( on my AT&T tilt ;-D )
AT&T is using the tilt name because the "fuze" was a huge failure. take a look at the return rate of the fuze vs the tilt. I personaly return my fuze to continue using the tilt.
I MIGHT BE ALONE HERE. BUT I LOVE HAVING THE NUMBER KEY PAD PHONE STYLE.... I HATE WHEN ITS JUST IN ONE ROW.... I THINK ATT HAS THE BEST KEYBOARD..... I LOVE THE TILT AND WILL LOVE THE TILT 2 EVEN MORE!!!!!!
Man I completely agree with you, but the FN and Shift keys are in the wrong spots, they need to be swapped.
No you're not alone. When I first saw the Fuze and this keypad layout, I thought it was stupid. Now I'm used to it.
It's not very hard to press the FN button twice to use the number keys (which seem to be faster for me since they are all clumped together) and then press FN again to turn them off... no point in having a FN lock since, besides when entering in numbers, people use the FN for something like punctuation. I kinda like not having to press FN for quotation marks, apostrophes, parenthesis, @, periods, exclamation points, etc, etc...
Honestly, I don't use numbers that much when I type texts. Maybe it's because of people who say "l8er" and use other methods of using numbers for letters like "l33t." If that's the case, you got a lot more to complain about than just a number pad being "screwed up."
those dont even look like buttons. It looks like they forgot a layer or something...they look flush.
@jamel: You are not alone. I like to have the numbers in a phone layout too. If HTC didn't try to so hard to copy the iPhone by not including a proper d-pad, I might have even considered getting the Tilt 2. As for the name? Well, the Fuze didn't tilt, the Touch Pro 2 does, so Tilt 2 is the logical choice for AT&T branding, not Fuze 2.
You would have bought a TP2 with a d-pad? Ok, so what would a TP2 like that look like: even bigger, or with a smaller screen? You can't have a big screen and a d-pad in a reasonable sized device (and the TP2 really stretches the bounds of reasonable to begin with).
@Who?
You can't have a D-pad unless sacrificing something? What if they took the same form/keyboard from the Fuze and got rid of the buttons on the front of it to make up more room for a screen? They would have just needed to stretch the device a little and it'd be what you're talking about - a d-pad with no screen sacrificed.
I challenge all of you to find me 1 person that has used the HTC keyboard and actually prefers the AT&T. The only people saying they like the AT&T layout are people who have never used the original layout.
Trust me, hitting ctrl+c and ctrl+v is great (on the original). And being able to hit numbers without using a function key is also great. The only thing AT&T got right is adding the OK button.
I own a Fuze and I at first did not think I would like the AT&T layout, but I do now. I wrote something in response to someone in the comments before I read your post.
I have had about 5 or 6 HTC devices, some AT&T branded, others not. They've all had keyboards. I Prefer the AT&T keyboard. It makes QUICK number entering simple, but it also allows easy access to punctuation, and to be honest, I use that more than numbers.
I'm so excited for this. Yea, the keyboard design is stupid. ATT was just trying to differentiate its TP2. It could have been worse though. I was holding my breath hoping that they wouldn't go with the separate number pad like we saw in the early rendering. That would have likely been a deal (and contract) breaker. I can't wait to get this. Hopefully is comes out soon, and before my Tilt dies!
@SaltyDawg: I used the original number layout, back in the HTC Wizard (Cingular 8125) days and I REALLY HATED it. It takes forever to dial a phone number when the digits are all in one row.
@Who? They could've added a trackball or joystick, which doesn't have to occupy that much real estate, and would still offer a one-hand navigation alternative other than the iPhone-like screen flicking, which has proven way ineffective, especially on non-capacitive screens.
@ RCC2k8
The keyboard on the Wizard has nothing to do with this keyboard.
Look, I can pretty much promise you nobody is going to open the keyboard to dial a phone number. All phone numbers will be dialed using the dialer on the huge screed. It has nice BIG buttons to dial, looke EXACTLY like a phone keypad, gives a nice vibration feedback when you hit a button, and it isn't ackward to do (unlike sliding out and then dialing on the hardware keyboard).
The numbers on that AT&T "dial pad" are offest- not like a phone.
I would definitely prefer to have the keyboard the same as a computer keyboard (numbers across the top, hit the "shift" (or function, whatever) key for the symbols. Just like it is on every computer I have ever used.
There is no sense "faking" a phone dial pad when we have a real phone dialer on the big screen on the front (with boigger buttons and vibration feedback).
AT&T dropped the ball on this one. And anyone who has used the European version of the Touch Pro 2 (and I have, I own one) will happily verify this.
I use both the dedicated number row keyboard and the Fn-number row keyboard (I own both the Tilt and Sprint's Touch Pro) and the dedicated row wins hands down for a few reasons:
1. I use numbers in texting WAY more than special characters. And this doesn't just mean for shortcutting words like 'for' and 'to' (which most people do because you only have so many words in texting)... it also is useful for time, quantities and prices.
2. Who dials out on their phone while in landscape mode? That's what the touchscreen dialpad is for.
3. Even on a regular keyboard, those special char keys are shift keys which tells you how often they are actually used. From a usability standpoint, dedicated keys for special char keys are a waste of space. How often does one use parentheses in text message?
I remember when the first pictures of the Fuze came out and I complained about the keyboard layout and was in the minority... no it looks that has shifted now that people actually have to use those phones.
http://www.amobil.no/artikler/htc_touch_pro_2/70612/1
I don't know why everybody's complaing. It looks better then the Sprint and T-Mobile versions, much better. I could care less about the number placement. I'll use the onscreen numbers when i make a call. So no big deal. I think the chrome and silver keyboard look sexy on that phone. Especially the chrome!
where can i go to download wallpapers and themes for windows mobile. i am looking for anime related ones.
@danhawk 911
By google searching some of the words in your post. That'll save you the berating you're bound to get for posting that here.
Back to the subject: I'm digging the chrome and yadda-yadda that everyone else is enjoying. I just want the thing to be released! Can anyone suggest a reliable, consolidated forum or blog that is keeping updated information on release dates? (other than the usual engadget or other winmo blogs).
Info from BCE internal, they won't be getting the Pro2 at launch, they opted for exclusive release on the Palm Pre instead. They don't have it on the current road map yet, but assume it will be coming down pipe after Telus has it for a while.
does anyone know if this has a 3.5mm jack?
I have the sprint TP. i was really excited for this phone to come out, which is on SEPT 8TH. I used to work for tier 2 tech support for nextel so i still keep up with the latest news. The TP 2 does NOT have a ctrl button. My TP now is starting to get sluggish when im typing an email or a text, meaning when i press the spacebar, it will be as if i hit the space bar twice or even three times. So, i have to use my ctrl + left or right arrow to go where i need to go or to copy and paste something from a text to an email ctrl + C and ctrl + V. And why change the colors to orange. Verizon has ther TP 2 the same colors at the sprints original TP, green colored lettering. The colors doesn't bother me as much as the ctrl button. Hope this helps.
I don't understand why more people don't complain about the lack of a Ctrl key. The configuration of the number/symbol keys may be a personal preference, but omitting the Ctrl key on a Windows Mobile device is unforgiveable! Don't people sorely miss the ability to use Ctrl+c, Ctrl+v, Ctrl+x, Ctrl+a, Ctrl+left, Ctrl+right, Ctrl+Shift+left, Ctrl+Shift+right, Ctrl+Shift+Home, Ctrl+Shift+End, etc.? At least the Fuze had "spare" keys (less useful app shortcut keys) that could be "hacked" to emulate Ctrl, Tab, Home & End keys.
I just hope someone is able to quickly produce a hack to re-map the OK key to be a Ctrl key. But with fewer keys than the Fuze, I wonder how the Tilt 2 keyboard can allow for keys like Home, End, Pg Up, Pg Down.... (For easiest key combinations, the Ctrl key should always be directly adjacent to the Shift key, and keys such as Home & End should be dedicated keys.) Personally, if given the choice, I'd prefer _more_ keys over much larger keys for more efficient typing.
When are configurable keys (& shortcut key combinations for starting apps) going to be included in Windows Mobile?
Looks like noo 3.5mm jack the busters!!! Guess to good to be true.. http://www.htc.com/us/product/atttilt2/specification.html