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Stateside fans of the long-awaited HTC Touch Pro2, which first debuted back in the spring, are now able to pick up the smartphone through network operator Sprint, the company announced.
The device offers Windows Mobile 6.1, TouchFlo user interface and entertainment options like Sprint TV with live and on-demand programming, as well as Sprint’s exclusive sports applications NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile. Beginning Sept. 8, Sprint customers can purchase the phone for $349.99, including a two-year service contract and a $100 mail-in rebate.
HTC Touch Pro2 features a 3.6-inch WVGA variable-angle tilting touch-screen and a wide, slide-out keyboard that is larger than its predecessor. Features like TouchFlo 3D bring information important to the user-such as quick access to contacts, messaging, e-mail and weather-to the top level of the user interface, and battery life has been expanded by 20 percent.
“More than ever, today’s wireless customers expect to stay productive whether they are on the road or in the office,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of product development for Sprint. “HTC Touch Pro2 on America’s most dependable 3G network makes that a reality. And with Sprint’s Simply Everything plans, which include voice minutes, messaging and data for one low price, we let customers focus on all their phone can deliver.”
HTC’s Straight Talk technology enables the Pro2-with carrier cooperation-to transition from an e-mail to a single- or multi-party conference call, as well as having the ability to offer itself as a conference room-like speakerphone system. Straight Talk technology, according to HTC, includes a mechanical and acoustic design that allows it to offer a speakerphone experience similar to those in boardrooms; asymmetric speakers and noise suppression technology with full-duplex acoustics deliver a “high-fidelity voice and sound experience.”
Sprint claims their mobile broadband network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 271 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The company boasts it has three times the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and more than 20 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles.
Additional business features available on HTC Touch Pro2 include international quad-band capability (CDMA, GSM), full HTML browser from Opera, stereo Bluetooth wireless technology, a WorldCard Mobile Business Card Scanner, Facebook integration and Linked in-boxes, which link personal and work contacts. Rounding out the feature set is a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot and an auto-focus 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder.
“Unlike devices that focus solely on specifications, HTC Touch Pro2 was designed with the philosophy that people should be at the center of the communications experience,” said Vice President of HTC America Jason Mackenzie. “So, instead of having to search through multiple applications to find a specific message, HTC Touch Pro2 intuitively organizes all communications, whether voice, text or e-mail, under a single contact card.”