It seems that a few versions of the phone will be available: a 900/2100MHz version for the EU, and 800/1900MHz version for the US and an 850/2100MHz version for Telstra. It’s the only carrier specifically named on the site.

Considering how chummy the Big T is with HTC in regards to Winmo phones, this wouldn’t be a big surprise. Also, even though it’s pureley coincidental, when HTC showed me the handset a few months ago it had a Telstra SIM card in it.

The good news is that even if the Hero is a Telstra-exclusive in Australia, the fact there are different versions for different markets means you can probably get an OS model for different networks here in Australia, as the EU version matches the networks used by Optus and Vodafone.

Of course, this is all purely speculation until HTC drops the official word, but it’s looking pretty convincing…

[HTC Canada via Whirlpool – Thanks Michael!]

Dumbphones and WinMo. I don’t think I could get more excited by this announcement.

If you want to know about the phones, here you go:

LG Xenon is the perfect mobile for customers who love to text and access social networking sites such as Facebook® on the go. It features a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out allowing users to power text with precision. The LG Xenon’s generous 2.8-inch touch screen makes viewing and sharing content a great experience. Customers can browse mobile internet sites, update their social network page, watch BigPond® TV clips and view photos in high-detail. It also sports a 2 megapixel camera with flash and video recording. It comes with 80MB of memory that is expandable up to 16GB. The LG Xenon is available exclusively to Telstra and comes in two colours: ‘Black’, available 14 July; and ‘Blue Jean’ available from 28 July. It is available on a $40 plan over 24 months or RRP $589 outright.

LG GM730f is an ultra-slim Smartphone powered by Windows Mobile® and later in the year will be one of the first phones that can be upgraded to the new Windows Mobile® 6.5 software. It boasts push email, superfast 7.2Mbps-rated HSDPA mobile internet speeds^ for web browsing, a 3-inch touch screen, an MP3 player and a 5 megapixel camera. Best of all, the LG GM730f features are integrated with LG’s new S-Class user interface that delivers an interactive, easy-to-use menu. The LG GM730f is also built to multitask with a cascading window design allowing users to switch easily between different applications running in the background. Other features include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and video calling. The LG GM730f is exclusive to Telstra and is first to launch globally in Melbourne and Sydney T[life]™ stores on 28 July and 11 August in other channels. It is available from Telstra on an $80 plan over 24 months or RRP $979 outright.

The HTC Touch Pro2 is exclusive to Telstra until 31 July and provides a full spectrum of productivity tools and consumer smartphone features enabling professionals to converge work and personal phone functions in a single device. It features a full slide-out horizontal QWERTY keyboard and a large 3.6 inch WVGA tilt display – which makes it perfect for email on the go. As a Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional phone you can view Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. The HTC Touch Pro2 is amongst one of the first Smartphones that will be upgradeable to Windows® Mobile 6.5 when released by Microsoft® later this year. Other features include: HTC Touch Flo™ technology – a touch-friendly user interface with a touch zoom bar for even faster zooming of Web pages, emails, text messages and documents; GPS navigation; and 7.2Mbps-rated HSDPA mobile internet speed capability^ for super-fast mobile Web browsing. And, when flipped over the HTC Touch Pro2™ automatically turns into a conference room speakerphone for up to five users with hi-fidelity voice and sound enhanced by asymmetric speakers. The HTC Touch Pro2™ is available in selected stores from 21 July on a MRO for $1499 on a Telstra member or casual post-paid plan.

Sony Ericsson W995 is a premium Walkman™ phone that features Sony’s revolutionarily clear audio experience technology and comes bundled with high-quality headphones and 8GB of storage. With an 8.1 megapixel camera and flash among its cutting-edge specs, it offers superior photo-taking capabilities. It also has a ‘Track ID’ application allowing customers to identify their favourite music tracks, and, via integration with BigPond® Music, purchase them on the go. The W995 is customisable thanks to its TelstraOne Experience user interface that lets customers set up one-click access to the mobile phone features, applications and services they use most. The Sony Ericsson W995 is available from 28 July on a $100 plan over 24 months or RRP $1199 outright.

Sony Ericsson W508 puts an outstanding music phone in your pocket at an affordable price. Headline features include Motion Controlled Walkman™ MP3 player with dedicated music buttons on the flip handset’s fascia, a 3.2 megapixel camera, video calling and interchangeable colour covers to transform the look of the handset. The W508 also features the TelstraOne Experience user interface which allows users to customise their MyPlace menu with all the services and applications they like to use such as Facebook®, Twitter, MySpace and mobile web accounts like Windows Live™ Hotmail and Yahoo!7 Mail – and place them where they’re easy to access with “one-click”. The phone is also Telstra Blue Tick coverage performance-rated, recommending it for handheld use in regional and rural areas. The W508 is available from 7 July on a $30 plan over 24 months or RRP $529 outright.

LG Viewty Smart is a video, imaging and multimedia mobile phone with a large 3-inch touch display. It is the perfect phone to watch videos, stream YouTube™ clips and listen to music on or to share a photo collection from. Dolby digital sound completes the multimedia experience. The Viewty Smart also doubles as a high-quality 8 megapixel digital camera, featuring Schneider Kreuznach optics and smart camera technology that make it easier to capture quality shots. Other features include 7.2Mbps rated HSDPA^, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, video calling, FM radio, voice recorder, DivX and XviD video playback support, proximity and accelerometer and video recording. The LG Viewty Smart is available from 14 July on an $80 plan over 24 months or RRP $979 outright.

Nothing here even comes close to making my top 5 desirable phones list. What about you guys?

[Telstra]

Like the 21Mbps figure, the 5.8Mbps is only a theoretical maximum – in the real world you’re more likely to get speeds of 300Kbps to 3Mbps in capital cities, or up to 1Mbps everywhere else. For comparison, Optus’s HSPA network has a theoretical maximum of 2Mbps uplink, with real world speeds in metro areas varying between 150Kbps and 1.5Mbps (or 1.1Mbps in regional areas). Telstra reckon that this speed boost makes uploading stuff about 3 times faster than before.

The uplink speed boost will work with the Telco’s 21Mbps HSPA modem straight away with a firmware upgrade available from Sierra Wireless’ website, while other NextG and BigPond customers will have the update made available in the coming weeks.

[Telstra]

Telstra were keen to impress that these handsets were just the first of many to carry the new UI, which from early impressions actually does add a pleasant level of customisation to each of the handsets. As time goes on, Telstra promise to offer ongoing improvements to the TelstraOne Experience in the shape of new applications and widgets.

One of the most appealing things about the whole setup though is that the handsets on offer both seem well made and cheap. Sure, you have to settle for WM6.1 on the Moto, but considering it’s a touchscreen smartphone on a $60 plan, that’s not too bad. The Sony Ericsson is even cheaper, available on a $40 plan over 24 months.

We’ll have a closer look at the UI and post impressions over the next few days…

Telstra revolutionises access to mobile services

Telstra today announced the introduction of an innovative new mobile user interface – TelstraOne Experience, giving customers one-click access to the applications and services they regularly use on their mobile phone.

Ms Glenice Maclellan, Executive Director, Telstra Consumer, said TelstraOne Experience gives customers the ability to fully customise their mobile phone interface to meet their individual requirements.

“Customised icons take customers directly to the most popular applications and services like phonebook and calendar and social networking and search. Everything customers want on their mobile is now closer than ever and accessible in more places on Telstra’s Next G™ network.

“TelstraOne Experience delivers on our one-click vision, giving customers greater control over the services they want to use on their mobile phone. This means fast, easy access to advanced mobile content and applications including Facebook, Mobile FOXTEL from Telstra and Sensis® search services,” Ms Maclellan said.

TelstraOne Experience will initially be available on two mobile handsets, the MOTOSURF™ A3100 and the Sony Ericsson W705. Further releases will follow in coming months.

Mr Ross Fielding, Executive Director, Telstra Product Management, said TelstraOne Experience is unique in that going forward, it will be able to be customised to suit traditional form factor handsets or touch screens and can be deployed across platforms, including Windows Mobile® and Sony Ericsson’s proprietary OS with the ability to roll it out to other platforms in future.

“Working with our partners, we have developed this unique user interface to operate at launch on the MOTOSURF A3100 – a new Windows Mobile® touch-screen handset – and on the Sony Ericsson W705, Telstra’s latest Blue Tick rated handset.

“We know mobile users want a navigation experience that is intuitive and allows them to get to their favourite features quickly without having to hunt through endless submenus. With TelstraOne Experience, it won’t matter what handset the customer uses, the experience will be similar and customisable to the customer’s individual requirements.

“And in the future when customers upgrade, they will be able to take the menu configurations they love with them by choosing a new TelstraOne Experience handset,” Mr Fielding said.

The Windows Mobile® user interface was developed in Australia by Victorian-based company, Pointui. This will be rolled out to other Microsoft Windows Mobile® devices.

The user interface featured on the Sony Ericsson W705 was developed in Australia by technology company, SurfKitchen in conjunction with Sony Ericsson, and will feature on a selection of new devices in coming months.

“With the launch of TelstraOne Experience, Telstra continues to build on its transformation by delivering truly differentiated and integrated products and services that are simple, easy to use and valued by our customers,” Mr Fielding said.

About the Sony Ericsson W705*
The Sony Ericsson W705 is a slick slider handset which combines advanced wireless connectivity with clear audio. It has a 2.4″ LCD screen, a 3.2MP camera with autofocus, video calling, a 4GB M2 memory card for storage, motion controlled 3D gaming and much more.

The Sony Ericsson W705 makes the ideal music companion with an in-built Walkman® and FM radio. Users can customise their playlists and its shake control feature lets them easily jump to and skip between tracks and adjust the volume.

The Sony Ericsson W705 will appeal to customers looking to combine their phone and MP3 player in a single device. It is available exclusively to Telstra Next G™ customers in the Midnight Silver colour variant.

The Sony Ericsson W705 has the added advantage of being Blue Tick rated, meaning it is recommended for handheld use in metro, rural and regional areas on Telstra’s Next G™ network.

The Sony Ericsson W705 has a RRP of $619 and will be available on a $40 plan over 24 months from Telstra Shops and dealers from 19 May.

About the MOTOSURF™ A3100*
The much anticipated MOTOSURF™ A3100 is a stylish touch screen device which combines the power of a Windows Mobile® operating system with the coverage of Telstra’s super fast Next G™ network.

The Motorola A3100 is fully HSDPA enabled with a device peak downlink speed rating of 7.2Mbps with typical customer download speeds of 550 kbps to 3 Mbps*, ideal for downloading large files, or watching video. It has been designed to help customers manage their work and social lives on a single device by easily switching between documents, social networking and entertainment.

The single touch of a finger, embedded stylus or omni-direction trackball takes customers from their fully customised home screen to their favourite applications and services. It has a 2.8″ display, a 3MP camera with autofocus and is Wi-Fi enabled.

The MOTOSURF A3100 runs on Windows Mobile™ 6.1 Professional and allows customers to customise their home screen, reducing the number of steps to use applications. It has a RRP of $829 and will be available on a $60 plan over 24 months from Telstra Shops and dealers from 11 May.

[Telstra]

One thing worth noting though – if you’re a Mac user, you’ll need to wait until May for the software to make it work. While waiting sucks, at least they’re providing a solution for Apple users.

Pocket-rocket wireless broadband card arrives in store

Everything Australians love about the internet including updating their social network pages, streaming video clips and downloading music is set to get faster on the go with the introduction of the BigPond® 21 USB Mobile Card – available from T[life] stores and Telstra Shops from today.

Telstra Executive Director, Consumer, Ms Glenice Maclellan, said the arrival of the BigPond 21 USB Mobile Card on Australia’s largest and fastest wireless broadband network meant customers could power their laptops away from home or the office with a lighting-fast connection to the world.

“Using the BigPond 21 USB Mobile Card on Telstra’s Next G™ network, customers will experience typical download speeds between 550Kbps to 8Mbps1 in selected CBD, metro and regional areas. At these speeds customers can download BigPond music or surf the net at mobile broadband speeds up to two times faster than the next fastest 3G device,” Ms Maclellan said.

“People who don’t want to compromise speed for mobility and who need to access the internet on the go are going to love this device. You can stream internet TV with less buffering and download large files like photos faster, even video conference from your laptop.

“The BigPond 21 USB Mobile Card is further demonstration of Telstra’s transformation which is enabling the delivery of world-leading and world-class products and services to our customers,” she said.

Telstra Product Management Executive Director, Mr Ross Fielding, said that the BigPond 21 USB Mobile Card was Windows Vista and XP compatible and will be Apple Mac compatible in May.

“The BigPond 21 USB Mobile Card easily slips in a pocket and includes an external antenna, a microSD slot and a 1GB microSD memory card – letting users take their photos and documents everywhere they take their internet connection,” Mr Fielding said.

The BigPond 21 USB Mobile Card has a recommended retail price of $399 and is available on all current in-market BigPond wireless broadband plans. Eligible Telstra customers can take advantage of the BigPond Wireless Broadband Offer which includes half the monthly access fees for the first 12 months when signing up to a 36 month plan, and a device rebate*.

The BigPond 21 USB Mobile Card is available through Telstra Shops and dealers, by calling 13POND and online at www.bigpond.com.

[BigPond]

The other thing to consider is that the hardware needs to be compliant with the 850MHz frequency that NextG uses to make use of this, and most current hardware won’t do that. Apparently Three are planning a massive marketing campaign to educate customers about the new setup as well.

It’ll also be interesting to see how this whole thing changes after the Vodafone merger, if it changes at all.

[Whirlpool via Lifehacker]

[APC mag]

And even though the Telstra press release says that even more phones will have the skin in the future, the question is if and how it will integrate with WM6.5 handsets.

Microsoft and Telstra unveil exclusive ‘Telstra Interface’ for Windows Mobile phones at Mobile World Congress 2009

New mobile interface gives easy “one click” access to popular Microsoft and Telstra applications and services on selected Windows Mobile devices

BARCELONA — 17 February, 2009 — In an Australian first, Microsoft and Telstra today unveiled the new, exclusive-to-Telstra, mobile user interface for selected Windows Mobile devices at Mobile World Congress 2009.

Mr Ross Fielding, Executive Director, Telstra Product Management said the Telstra Interface will give customers simple “one-click” access to the applications and services they regularly use on the home screen of their Windows Mobile phone via a set of touch?enabled menus and scrolling applets.

“The new Telstra Interface has been designed with our customers’ needs in mind, bringing the most popular applications to the home screen, including address book and email, Microsoft Office Mobile, and Telstra mobile services including BigPond, Mobile FOXTEL from Telstra and Sensis Search,” Mr Fielding said.

“Customised touch applets such as Today, Messaging, Slideshow, World Clock and Tasks will be available on the new interface via one-touch, providing targeted information to Australian consumer and business customers.

“The Telstra Interface also provides one touch access to USB data modem capability. This allows customers to connect their mobile to their PC and use the phone as a modem to access the internet via Telstra’s Next G™ network.”

Ms Natasha Kwan, General Manager, Mobile Communications Business, Asia, Microsoft Corporation said the openness of the Windows Mobile platform facilitated the development of the Telstra Interface.

“This unique interface is an example of how Microsoft’s open approach to the mobile ecosystem provides our partners, like Telstra, the opportunity to innovate and create a differentiated user experience. The Telstra Interface has great mass market appeal while Windows Mobile has all the functionality, manageability and access to familiar applications, such as Office Mobile, for business users,” Natasha Kwan said.

Ms Martha Bejar, Corporate Vice President, Communications Sector, Microsoft Corporation, said the new interface is the first step in a deep partnership where Telstra and Microsoft will collaborate for the benefit of their mutual customers.

“We are committed to partnering with Telstra to leverage our respective assets and collective strengths – delivering Microsoft solutions accessible via mobile phones and PCs in conjunction with Telstra’s end-to-end support and network communication services. This relationship will redefine how integrated solutions can be delivered to Australian businesses to enable them to compete more effectively at a local and global level,” Martha Bejar said.

The intention to form an alliance was announced by Microsoft and Telstra in November 2008 and the relationship will encompass: mobile devices and services; hosted business applications; and unified communications.

The Telstra Interface was developed in Australia by Microsoft partner, Pointui, a niche development company. The four-person team was chosen from a wide field and worked closely with Telstra and Microsoft to create the custom look and feel that will be available exclusively to Telstra customers.

“We’re excited to work with Microsoft and Telstra to leverage our expertise in designing and developing specialised customer experiences on the Windows Mobile platform. We have developed a solution for Microsoft and Telstra that we hope will exceed the expectations of thousands of customers across Australia,” said Shane Maiolo, Chief Executive Officer, Pointui.

The exclusive-to-Telstra interface is currently designed for Windows Mobile 6.1 and will be available on the Motorola A3100 and Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 mobile devices from mid April (Motorola A3100) and early May (Sony Ericsson Xperia X1). There are plans to make the Telstra Interface available on other Windows Mobile 6.1 handsets.

Still, the fact that Telstra has pushed this out, (and claims that NextG will hit 42Mbps by the end of the year) is actually really impressive. It’s almost painful to say, but the Big T is really leading the world when it comes to 3G and LTE mobile networks. So, Kudos, Telstra.

Now, if we can just do something about pricing…

Telstra launches new era with world’s fastest mobile broadband service

Barcelona, 16 February 2009 – Telstra today launched the world’s fastest mobile broadband service, ushering in a new era in real-time mobile communications that will bring major benefits to customers, innovation and business productivity.

The CEOs of Telstra, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Sierra Wireless jointly announced a new 21Mbps peak rated mobile broadband modem, Telstra Turbo 21, would be available to customers on Telstra’s supercharged HSPA+ network, the Next G ™ network, on 23 February. Peak network speeds will increase to 42Mbps later this year.

Speaking at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo said for the first time a mobile network would bring a true real-time broadband experience to customers, providing significant benefits in health care, education and business productivity, in addition to an enhanced consumer entertainment experience.

“In just over two years, we have taken our world leading network from peak network speeds of 3.6Mbps to 21Mbps and today we are launching the world’s first commercial 21Mbps peak-rated modem – more than three times faster than devices currently in market,” Mr Trujillo said.

“Using the new 21Mbps rated devices, a high quality x-ray image can be downloaded by a doctor in about 15 seconds – the potential cost and time savings across the health care industry are extraordinary. A consumer can access and download an mp3 song in just four seconds or a YouTube video in just six seconds. Some of our business customers are already seeing productivity uplifts of up to 30 per cent in parts of their workforces from the Next G ™ network by cutting travel costs and saving time.

“With 21Mbps rated network and devices, we expect to see business productivity increase even further at a time when business and governments need to find practical ways to lift economies out of recession and do more with less.”

According to a recent report by Concept Economics, the Next G ™ Productivity Impacts study, industries such as passenger transport, real estate, construction, finance, trade, education and health in particular benefit from high-speed mobile broadband.

The study revealed that high-speed mobile broadband is cutting costs by reducing the need for travel, saving time and generating new business. Its modelling found the Next G ™ network alone could lead to real GDP increases of up to 0.7 % per year in Australia – http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media/docs/Next_G_Productivity_Impact_Study_FINAL_130209.pdf

The success of the Next G ™ network in Australia has seen Telstra achieve world leading results, with 3G penetration growing by 19 percentage points to 54 per cent at the end of December 2008, while maintaining a 3G vs 2G post-paid ARPU differential in excess of A$20. Data accounted for 36% of mobile services retail revenue over the same period.

In Telstra’s consumer segments, post-paid value-added services grew by 19 per cent, while pre-paid value-added services grew by 23 per cent.

At launch, the 21Mbps rated modems will be available to some business customers, with a consumer offering available in April. Customers with these devices will see typical download speeds ranging up to 8Mbps.

Ericsson CEO, Mr Carl-Henric Svanberg said Ericsson shared Telstra’s vision of mobile broadband.
“The record-breaking speed ensures even greater flexibility, efficiency and convenience,” Mr Svanberg said.
“The waiting time for downloads will be significantly reduced, allowing subscribers to enjoy real-time multimedia communication services such as video conferencing. Ericsson is delighted to be contributing to this milestone achievement through our leading technology.”
Qualcomm CEO, Dr. Paul E. Jacobs said: “Telstra’s Next G ™ network breaks new ground for the wireless industry, leveraging the advanced capabilities of HSPA+ to seamlessly evolve their existing network to meet next-generation mobile user demands.

“Telstra is bringing an exceptional mobile internet experience to their subscribers, one that will change the way people interact with their world. Qualcomm is proud to be part of this milestone with such a valued partner,” Dr Jacobs said.

Sierra Wireless CEO, Jason Cohenour said Telstra took an early leadership role in HSPA+, approaching Sierra Wireless long before any other carrier to ensure devices would be ready for the first HSPA+ network rollout in the world.

“We’re pleased to support Telstra in being first in the world to deliver that to customers,” Mr Cohenour said.

“We accelerated development of HSPA+ products to support Telstra’s network rollout and introduced not only an HSPA+ USB modem, but also an embedded module to support original equipment manufacturers in developing new products and solutions that can leverage the faster speeds that Telstra 21 delivers. Telstra 21 promises a leap in speed and performance that transforms the wireless experience,” Mr Cohenour said.