Leaked AT&T presentation confirms remaining WinMo releases for 2009, that employees can't spell 'proprietary'

Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 release is just a month away, and so too are the first phones that will utilize it. Boy Genius Report has managed to get its hands on one slide from a recent AT&T concall confirming a partial list of the handsets set to ship with the new, improved, more finger-friendly flavor of the OS, and even a few models that will be upgraded to it. Two from Samsung, the Epix and Jack, will receive version updates in October, while HP's Obsidian, earlier targeted for November, seems to have been pushed back to December, and LG's Monaco similarly has slipped to November. HTC's Fortress (a.k.a. the Pro2), however, will apparently be ready with bells on next month. As will we, dear readers. As will we.

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:28AM]

I don't know why all of HTC's slide/tilt/qwerty phones for AT&T look the same as the last generation. This "fortress" looks like that one that was branded the "Cingular" 8125.

[PhoenixFox Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:05AM]

No... No it doesn't..

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:07AM]

okay maybe not quite, but why do the nice-looking, chrome-and black HTC handsets end up on other carriers?

[Zodiac Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:21AM]

Why whine? You can't be serious about buying a winmo phone. Are you really? ;)

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:23AM]

At this point I don't even know. I'd like SOME kind of serious iPhone competitor on AT&T. I'm himing and hawing about the HTC Hero on Sprint, but am reticent to switch carriers, especially to one as beleaguered as Sprint.

[PhoenixFox Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:28AM]

that fortress DOES look chrome and black... I'm holding my HTC branded Touch Pro2 up next to it and they're practically identical (blue keyboard FN stuff rather than green)

[kibbledbits Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:43AM]

@Ryan Trevisol: iPhone does have serious competitors - Palm Pre & Android. Just curious do you want Windows to have serious competition?

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:22AM]

I would be open to it. My time horizon is the beginning of next year anyway. I can get out of my AT&T contract around the beginning of 2010. I'd like a Sprint Hero, but my wife really likes her iPhone. Android may not be polished enough for her to use. Plus I really hate the way they made it look.

Staying on AT&T would allow me to be free of the iPhone (it's not awful but it's got its headaches), while keeping my wife status quo. So what are my options?

I'm not a Blackberry fan, I've tried to like them but I just can't. I have to have full-face touch screen. And Verizon/Storm isn't an option. I couldn't stand that Surepress gimmick.

WinMo 6.5 is actually looking . . . plausible at this point. My only sticking point is it HAS to be finger friendly. So there you have it. If you're so interested in what I actually want, here is my matrix of phone requirements:

1 - Full Touch Screen
2 - Finger Friendly - No stylii
3 - Excellent Web Browsing (I'll admit Safari is the best here, even sans flash, but Opera's not bad, Android really needs pinch zoom)
4 - Ability to add music/video from a Mac (or easily in VMWare Fusion)

Bonus Points:
ReQall Integration (iPhone and Blackberry)
Push GMail (Android, Blackberry)
Good, Free Crossword Game
eBay app
Firstclass Email Client (unfair, but the iPhone does have a version of my work email. Blackberry gets half points for being supported by my school district.)

[hfm Posted Sep 21st 2009 11:14AM]

I can tell you the AT&T Fortress is in fact chrome and black.

[Shannighan Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:46AM]

Where's the LEO?

[Zodiac Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:15AM]

Leo or no Leo, MS will have to pay me to use WinMo, especially 6.5.
Sorry for the drastic comments.

[Kit Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:32AM]

@Chevy_Cobra

STFU

[chadhuber Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:47AM]

and they are using xp... what will microsoft have to say about that?

[CtrlBurn Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:09AM]

Every big business is still using XP...

[eddieexe Posted Sep 21st 2009 3:14PM]

Yeah but is every business running at that resolution??

[Haha Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:51AM]

Wait a sec... LG Monaco, Nov 2009. LG Monaco has the specs of having Windows Mobile 7... so, is this just a fake spec or is WinMo7 really ready? Before 6.5 is even out?

[therodt Posted Sep 21st 2009 10:02AM]

Totally fake speck in my opinion. Windows mobile 7 & has a tech requirement of Tegra or Snapdragon chipset. I did not see that in the specs.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:53AM]

They are using old IE 6

[Zodiac Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:24AM]

Didn't you know that IE is the 5th best browser? :)

[Level 5 Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:01AM]

Hmm.. I wonder if they're just using a different picture for the Fortress/Touch Pro 2, or if they've changed it...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:26AM]

They also can't spell 'Monaco'

[Alex Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:10AM]

Eww, nothing is worse than running IE6 on XP running in 1024x786 or less, leaving only enough taskbar space for perhaps only one program before it has to start squeezing them together. How can anyone be seriously productive that way?

[1 Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:20AM]

That looks like 800*600 or less. Is it suddenly 2001 again?

[beckhams777 Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:21AM]

still no Android!

[Quikboy Posted Sep 21st 2009 6:47PM]

"still no WinMo 7!"

There, fixed it for you.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:32AM]

In other news Engadget editors can't spell confcall, unless this was a vague attempt at humor that att is really a con artist. Then Bravo!

[artshark Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:40AM]

holy shit that epix looks nice. looks BIG though

[therodt Posted Sep 21st 2009 8:57AM]

The Epix was a failure out the gate, I am really surprised they are bringing it back with all the bugs it had last offering. I hope they fix that screen too. It was really bad on resolution.

[LazyMegaMan Posted Sep 21st 2009 11:12AM]

I agree, the Epix was a failure unless you took the time to hack the crap out of the registry (like fixing the God-awful bluetooth A2DP quality) and use programs like RealVGA. I use mine daily, but have a backup copy of around 70MB of .cabs waiting on my computer just in case I have to fix it all over again.

God I hope winmo6.5 doesn't suck hard on the Epix.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:08AM]

How long until a network wide search for propeitery yields some results and someone looses a job because they leaked confidential documents, along with being too stupid to spell it correctly. Hilarity.

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:22AM]

I would be open to it. My time horizon is the beginning of next year anyway. I can get out of my AT&T contract around the beginning of 2010. I'd like a Sprint Hero, but my wife really likes her iPhone. Android may not be polished enough for her to use. Plus I really hate the way they made it look.

Staying on AT&T would allow me to be free of the iPhone (it's not awful but it's got its headaches), while keeping my wife status quo. So what are my options?

I'm not a Blackberry fan, I've tried to like them but I just can't. I have to have full-face touch screen. And Verizon/Storm isn't an option. I couldn't stand that Surepress gimmick.

WinMo 6.5 is actually looking . . . plausible at this point. My only sticking point is it HAS to be finger friendly. So there you have it. If you're so interested in what I actually want, here is my matrix of phone requirements:

1 - Full Touch Screen
2 - Finger Friendly - No stylii
3 - Excellent Web Browsing (I'll admit Safari is the best here, even sans flash, but Opera's not bad, Android really needs pinch zoom)
4 - Ability to add music/video from a Mac (or easily in VMWare Fusion)

Bonus Points:
ReQall Integration (iPhone and Blackberry)
Push GMail (Android, Blackberry)
Good, Free Crossword Game
eBay app
Firstclass Email Client (unfair, but the iPhone does have a version of my work email. Blackberry gets half points for being supported by my school district.)

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:22AM]

Crap that was a reply to my thread above. I'm recopying it.

[N900 Posted Sep 21st 2009 11:15AM]

So Engadget think's they're better than AT&T....O rly?

"Marketplac" ring any bells?

Yeah I thought so...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 11:26AM]

Can you blame them? It's a hard word to spell.

[WixosTrix Posted Sep 21st 2009 11:29AM]

Sweet. I need that Fortress. I've had all the HTC phones on AT&T since the 8125, except for the Fuze, and loved all of them. Personally, I've never had any real problems with WinMo once I found a good custom rom. I'm excited!

[Purgingomen Posted Sep 21st 2009 2:12PM]

i am also excited for the fortress and mobile 6.5, im stuck on att and i refuse to get an iphone (need a physical qwerty, don't like the look or the menu navigation, etc... in fact the only thing i can deal with is safari mobile). Mobile is looking pretty and very usable for as much info that is out for it.

[TXToast Posted Sep 21st 2009 3:17PM]

Spelling is over rated.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 3:45PM]

They also can't spell 'Monaco'

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 5:21PM]

TEGRA!!!!!!!WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!?!?!you were supposed to be here by the end of the year for around 200$!!!!!! I NEED YOU!!!!!!