Windows Mobile Louisville

There’s good news for people in the United States who are eager to get their hands on the HTC Touch Pro: a version  this upcoming Windows Mobile smartphone has received FCC approval.

This device will have a great deal in common with the recently-released HTC Touch Diamond, but the Touch Pro will have more of a focus on business users.

The version that’s just been approved is for CDMA carriers, which is in-line with an earlier unconfirmed report that this device will be coming to Sprint. But there’s nothing in the FCC filing that specifies this carrier over the other CDMA-based carriers, like Verizon.

Today’s development doesn’t give any solid information on when the debut is going to happen. A wireless device can’t be released in the U.S. without FCC approval, but it can happen any time thereafter.  Sprint hasn’t said anything official about this model, but the earlier leak said this carrier will release the HTC Touch Pro in September.

A confidentiality request filed with the FCC paperwork asks that no internal details on this device be revealed to the public until October 19.  A version of this smartphone for GSM carriers is also expected to be available later this year.

An Overview of the HTC Touch Pro

• This Windows Mobile 6.1 device will have a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen and TouchFLO 3D, HTC’s new alternate user interface that makes Windows Mobile devices easier to use with a fingertip.
• The GSM version will have support for HSPA, including HSDPA (7.2 Mbps) and HSUPA, while the CDMA one will support EV-DO. One or more of these will add Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on top of that.
• The Touch Pro will also include GPS, a microSD/SDHC card slot, and a 3.2 MP camera.

SOURCE: Brighthand

The official Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM update for Sprint’s Mogul and Touch has been leaked out early.  Yes, this is the official ROM that will soon be available on both HTC and Sprint’s sites.  I have installed the update for my Mogul and it went very smoothly.  I’m going to post details in the forum about the links, how it went and how I restored my data.

Read this post from back in April to refresh your memory on features of Windows Mobile 6.1.

Verizon’s version of the HTC Touch (the XV6900) is coming out sooner than originally expected.  On April 16th, the device will be available online, and will hit brick-and-mortar stores by the end of the month.

The price seems a little steep (but aren’t a lot of things on Verizon?) - $349.99 with contract…  yowza!

The XV6900 is pearl white with chrome accents.  I guess they wanted to distinguish themselves from the Sprint version.  It has Windows Mobile 6, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD slot, 256MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, Bluetooth, and HTC’s TouchFLO interface.

The ol’ servers at HTC are a-hummin’ today, because the long anticipated ROM update for the Mogul is here!  Here is a story about it on Yahoo, though you probably don’t care about reading that if you have a Mogul!  Instead, you’re going to want to go here for the download.

Mind you, their servers are literally getting slammed, and the file is 60MB in size, so it might take a while.

Enjoy!  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some downloading to do!  :)

UPDATE: Here is a mirror site, which downloads a lot faster.  I downloaded the file successfully from there.

I am a Sprint Mogul owner, like a lot of us in the Windows Mobile Louisville group. Ever since I bought the device last September, I’d been hearing that the Mogul had a built-in GPS chip, and was eager to find out if and when it was going to be used.  In November 2007, HTC posted on their website that it really did have a GPS chip, and that we should see a new ROM for the Mogul in Q1 of 2008.

“HTC is currently developing a separate ROM update which enables the EV-DO Rev. A and GPS capabilities that are already built into the Mogul hardware. Sprint and HTC plan to make this software ROM available in early 1Q 2008. Please bookmark this page for easy reference.”
(Posted November 29, 2007)

Q1 ends in less than three weeks and we still haven’t seen hide or hair of a ROM from Sprint or HTC.  We have seen an unofficial leaked ROM that enabled the GPS chip and also gave the Mogul Rev A.  Since then, there’ve been lots of rumors of when the real ROM will be released.  This post on PPCGeeks claims that the official ROM (3.35.651.2) will be released on the HTC site on Monday March 10th.  By all appearances, the post looks and sounds very plausible and has a lot of info that seems to make sense to me, so I am sitting here with my fingers crossed hoping it really is true and Monday I will have a Mogul with working GPS and Rev A speeds! - Ian

There were rumors that Sprint was about to respond to the Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile unlimited plans that were recently unveiled, and now it’s official: 

Sprint has announced the Simply Everything plan, which offers unlimited voice and data along with text, email and GPS.  This differs from the other carriers’ plans, which were for unlimited voice, with data plans that could be added on.  Here is an excerpt from Sprint’s press release:

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In an industry-defining move, Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced it will launch a domestic unlimited pricing plan that gives customers unlimited voice, data, text, e-mail, Web-surfing, Sprint TVSM, Sprint Music, GPS Navigation, Direct Connect® and Group Connect® for $99.99 a month. The new pricing plan is available to existing and new customers beginning tomorrow.

This raises (or should I say lowers!) the bar considerably.  Another key point: existing customers can opt for the new plan without having to extend their existing contract.   That is cool.

Hot on the heels of the Verizon unlimited calling plan announcement, AT&T and T-Mobile have announced flat rate plans as well.

 AT&T’s plans will be available to new and existing customers for $99.99/mo (unlimited voice calling).  This would be in addition to any data plan.  Existing customers can choose unlimited calling without extending their contract.  This offer goes into effect on Feb 22. For the complete menu of their voice and data offerings, go to AT&T.

T-Mobile will also offer a $99.99 plan - this one includes unlimited nationwide calling and messaging and goes into effect Feb 21.  Details will be found on T-Mobile’s site soon.

Today, Verizon Wirless unveiled their new Unlimited Calling Plan - Anyone, Anytime, One Flat Rate.

Call anyone in the U.S. on any network, even landlines, as much as you want for one flat rate.

Plans begin at $99.99 (unlimited national voice only) and Premium plans (data, messaging, etc) begin at $139.99.

You can read more about it at Verizon’s site.

If you’re a Sprint customer and you find yourself traveling abroad, there is now a Windows Mobile device in the offering which will work ’round the world.

The Samsung Ace is very similar to the Blackjack II offered by AT&T, and it operates on CDMA as well as GSM networks.

The Samsung Ace is available today in business sales channels and at sprint.com. It will be available at Sprint retail stores beginning in March.

It is selling for $200 with a two-year service agreement and $100 mail-in-rebate.