But then you hit the software. And even though HTC’s TouchFlo interface covers some of Windows Mobile 6.1, it’s still there. The phone still has a stylus. It’s still a resistive touchscreen, so even though TouchFlo’s bigger buttons make using your finger easier, it’s still way too easy for the button to not respond or for you to press the wrong button with your finger.

Apparently people who buy the Diamond2 and Pro2 handsets will get a free upgrade to the more finger-friendly Windows Mobile 6.5 OS, but there’s still a chance that the telcos will block that, which would be an absolute disaster on their part.

Of course, I’ve only been playing with the phone for about an hour, so there is the slight possibility that I’ll grow to love it, but at the moment I’m finding myself frustrated at every turn…

If you thought the Epix was the BlackJack III, nope. Meet the Jack. It’s a pretty standard Windows Mobile 6.1, 3G and Wi-Fi deal, and it compels copywriters to make lame playing card puns:

AT&T COMPLETES ITS FULL HOUSE OF SMART DEVICES WITH THE NEW SAMSUNG JACK™

Compact, Elegant Handset is Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 and features Wi-Fi, 3.2 Megapixel Camera and Integrated aGPS Technology

DALLAS, May 14, 2009 – Smartphone fans have an ace in hand with the latest Windows Mobile device from AT&T and Samsung. AT&T* and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced today the May 19 availability of the Samsung Jack™, the next generation Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone available exclusively to AT&T customers in the U.S and powered by the nation’s fastest 3G network.

The Jack is a sleek and compact handset with an optimised keyboard for easy and accurate messaging, including SMS, instant messaging and access to multiple e-mail accounts. Microsoft Direct Push is available for enterprise and small business users, while AT&T Xpress Mail offers access to most major personal e-mail accounts. The Jack also features over-the-air synchronisation of contacts, calendars and task lists with Microsoft Exchange Server or Xpress Mail.

“The Samsung Jack will be another hit crossover smartphone in the tradition of the Blackjack and Blackjack II,” said Mike Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility Corporation. “The Blackjack series has been the number one selling franchise in Windows Mobile history.”

The Jack combines the familiar look and feel of a Windows desktop with a stylish, streamlined device ideal for customers looking to simplify and increase the productivity of their business and personal lives. Additional key features of the Jack include 256 MB RAM, a 3.2 megapixel camera with video-capture capabilities, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) to connect with home or office networks, and built-in aGPS for use with AT&T Navigator, AT&T Navigator Global Edition and other GPS-based applications for personal and business use. AT&T Navigator is available to try at no cost for 30-days. Data usage charges apply.

“Samsung has a long tradition of bringing award-winning smartphones to our customers and the Jack is our next flagship device,” said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Telecommunications America. “The Jack takes the best messaging features, coolest multimedia options and cutting-edge productivity tools and packs them into a high-tech phone.”

Make Your Life Easier with Pocket-Sized Productivity

Windows Mobile 6.1 puts your desktop computer in the palm of your hand. Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile on the Jack keeps enterprise and small business customers connected with synchronisation of schedules and contacts, Internet Explorer Mobile provides improved quick and easy Web browsing and Office Mobile enhances productivity with the ability to manage Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. Additional Windows Mobile 6.1 features on the Jack include threaded SMS messaging, and Voice Command.

The Jack also supports Microsoft’s System Centre Mobile Device Manager 2008, an enterprise-grade mobile solution for managing and protecting Windows Mobile 6.1 phones. Mobile Device Manager provides users with software distribution capabilities and security-enhanced access to company data while they are away from the office. The Samsung Jack will also be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5.

Entertainment On-The-Go

Style meets substance with the robust feature-set of the Samsung Jack. AT&T Mobile Music, an integrated, on-the-go music experience that delivers “your music, your way” by providing simple access to a robust collection of music content, including access to XM Radio Mobile™ and more.

For the visually oriented, CV (Cellular Video) from AT&T gives viewers access to thousands of video clips – news, sports, weather, entertainment, and more – via streaming video. The Jack also includes features such as stereo Bluetooth® technology, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile and microSD™ memory card slot for external storage of up to 16GB of data.

AT&T offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. AT&T customers can use the Jack to make or receive a phone call in more than 215 countries and check e-mail, browse the Web or perform other data functions in more than 170 countries, including in more than 80 – such as Japan and South Korea – that have deployed 3G networks.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Jack will be available May 19 through select AT&T retail locations or at www.wireless.att.com for $99.99 after mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement. (Pay $199.99 and after mail-in rebate receive $100 AT&T Promotion Card. Two-year agreement and voice plan of $39.99 or more, plus a Personal PDA data plan.)

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.

Acer has unveiled their rumoured smartphones, the X960, F900, M900, and DX900. And they don’t look half bad, other than lacking WinMo 6.5 and being a tad on the chunky side. Here’s a rundown:

X960
• Pre-installed GPS software
(Navigon try-and-buy, for Europe market)
• 2.8″ VGA touch screen
• High speed HSPA connectivity
• New easy-to-use virtual keyboard
• Access directly to key applications
via widget-based home screen
•3.2MP Auto-focused camera

F900
• Pre-installed GPS software
(Navigon try-and-buy, for Europe market)
• 2.8″ VGA touch screen
• High speed HSPA connectivity
• New easy-to-use virtual keyboard
• Access directly to key applications
via widget-based home screen
•3.2MP Auto-focused camera

M900
• Physical Qwerty keyboard
• 3.8″ WVGA touch screen
• Fingerprint reader
• 5 Megapixel autofocus camera
• HSPA, WiFi, BT
• Windows Mobile 6.1, Outlook, Office

DX900
• Physical Qwerty keyboard
• 3.8″ WVGA touch screen
• Fingerprint reader
• 5 MP autofocus camera
• HSPA, WiFi, BT
• Windows Mobile 6.1, Outlook, Office
• Standby time 160h / Talk time: 5h

But while Acer’s skin they’ve placed on top of Windows Mobile 6.1 looks alright and the hardware seems passable, why aren’t they breaking into the smartphone market with WinMo 6.5? [Acer]

HTC’s Touch Diamond, and its QWERTY’d doppelganger the Touch Pro, have formally passed into their second generation, with bigger screens, higher (WVGA) resolution, better battery life, and deeper interface changes.

These handsets have always represented something of a standard to which WinMo phones are measured, and the tastefully restyled new versions, boldly called the Diamond2 and Pro2, play on their predecessors’ strengths.

The Diamond2 gets a screen upgrade, from 2.8in to 3.2in, with an accompanying resolution boost from VGA (480×640) to WVGA (480×800). The lauded TouchFlo 3D alternative interface now reaches a bit deeper into Windows Mobile 6.1, making a few more functions touch-friendly, but stopping short of a total overhaul. The most interesting new interface feature is the “Single Contact View”, which consolidates your complete history of communication (texts, calls, emails) for a given contact into a single screen. An SD card expansion slot replaces the old model’s fixed internal memory, which results in greater flexibility but severely diminished memory size on delivery (gone is the 4GB internal memory, replaced with the wimpy 512MB ROM) and a new 5-megapixel autofocus camera.

The Pro2 is treated to most of the same upgrades. Its screen stretches to a full 3.6 inches, which is just .2 inches smaller than the monstrous TouchHD. It gets a louder speakerphone system and less-pixely camera than the Diamond2, but retains the larger battery and slide-out QWERTY keyboard that originally distinguished its dad from the Diamond.

Battery life is apparently boosted by 50% on the Diamond2 and “improved” on the Pro2, a change which is more than welcome, as this is one of the areas where the original Diamond/Pro fell down. Other, less immediately interesting new features include “HTC Push Internet”, which is essentially pre-loads parts of your favourite webpages, and the inauspiciously-named “Straight Talk”, which allows for easy transitions between text or email communications and regular or group phone calls, letting you immediately initiate a conference call with, say, the recipients of an email thread.

A few things don’t sit will here—mainly the lack of internal memory and lost touchwheel—but anyone who has used the TouchHD knows that the enhanced resolution is a welcome change. And not to repeat an all-too-obvious grievance, but HTC fans have long said that the Diamond and Pro should have been the company’s Android handsets from the get-go, so it’s hard to avoid being slightly disappointed by Windows Mobile 6.1, again.

HTC hasn’t announced pricing yet, but should hit European and Asian markets by early Q2, with early H2 availability worldwide. Full press release below. [HTC]

BARCELONA – Feb 16, 2009 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today unveiled two new flagship devices, the HTC Touch Diamond2ä and HTC Touch Pro2ä. Integrating innovative simplicity with unique style and an intuitive interface, the devices balance function, form and cutting-edge technology to personalise the communication and mobile Internet experience.

“The HTC Touch Pro2 and HTC Touch Diamond2 introduce a mobile communication experience that simplifies how we communicate with people in our lives whether through voice, text or email,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corp. “HTC is delivering the latest, cutting-edge sophistication in a broad portfolio of mobile phones that improve how people live, work and communicate.”

HTC TOUCHFLO 3D INTEGRATED WITH WINDOWS MOBILE
The HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2 utilise HTC’s latest TouchFLO 3D interface. TouchFLO 3D has been more deeply integrated into a customised version of Windows Mobile 6.1 to deliver more consistency throughout Windows Mobile applications and menus. Focused on making navigation easier and more intuitive, TouchFLO 3D brings important information to the top-level user interface, including quick access to people, messaging, email, photos, music and weather. As part of this improved Windows Mobile integration the touch focus areas have been enlarged to be more finger-touch friendly.

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER
With the HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2, HTC is introducing a new people-centric communication approach, providing a single contact view that displays the individual conversation history of contacts regardless of whether voice, text or email were used. This can be viewed from the contact card or the in-call screen during a phone conversation, ensuring the latest communication contact-by-contact is always at hand.

SIMPLIFYING HOW PEOPLE ACCESS THEIR INFORMATION
Continuing its commitment to making the mobile Internet easier and more enjoyable, the HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2 introduce HTC’s Push Internet technology. HTC Push Internet alleviates slow downloading and rendering of Web pages on a mobile phone. Users can preselect their favourite Websites to get immediate access to them when needed.

HTC TOUCH DIAMOND2
The HTC Touch Diamond2 is the next step in the evolution of the successful HTC Touch Diamond. Crafted to fit perfectly into the hand, the Touch Diamond2 evolves the compact design and iconic style of the original HTC Touch Diamond. It incorporates a larger 3.2-inch high-resolution wide-screen VGA display for a greater viewing area in a design just 13.7mm thick. The phone also includes a new touch sensitive zoom bar for even faster zooming of Web pages, emails, text messages, photos or documents.

Leveraging HTC’s TouchFLO 3D experience combined with a people-centric communication approach and HTC’s new Push Internet technology The Touch Diamond2 offers an advanced touch experience that is optimised for one-hand use.

With fifty-percent better battery life, a five mega-pixel auto focus camera, expandable memory, gravity sensor and an ambient light sensor, the Touch Diamond2 brings the most sophisticated capabilities to a broad consumer audience looking for the professional benefits of a smartphone without sacrificing size, looks or functionality.

HTC TOUCH PRO2
Designed for business professionals, the HTC Touch Pro2 is architected with distinct style and strength while delivering the most powerful productivity experience available on a mobile phone. Leveraging HTC’s TouchFLO 3D, people-centric communication and Push Internet technology, the Touch Pro2 features a high-resolution 3.6-inch widescreen VGA display for an expanded viewing area and large finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard. With improved battery life, expandable memory, a touch-sensitive zoom bar as well as gravity, proximity and ambient light sensors, the Touch Pro2 is optimised for touch as well as heavy email use.

INTRODUCING HTC STRAIGHT TALKÄ FOR HTC TOUCH PRO2
The new HTC Touch Pro2 leverages voice in a new way to create one of the most sophisticated communication experiences found on a mobile phone. HTC’s new Straight Talk technology delivers an integrated email, voice and speakerphone experience. Users can transition seamlessly from email to single or multi-party conference calls and turn any location into a conference room.

In addition to the new simplified calling experience, Straight Talk includes an innovative mechanical and acoustic design that features a sophisticated speakerphone experience similar to those found in corporate boardrooms. Straight Talk delivers a high-fidelity voice and sound experience enhanced by asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression with full duplex acoustics. When the Touch Pro2 is flipped over it automatically turns into a conference room speakerphone system.

Availability
The HTC Touch Diamond2 will be available to customers across major European and Asian markets in early Q2 2009 with broader global availability coming later in the year. The Touch Pro2 will be available across major global markets beginning in early summer.

About HTC
Founded in 1997, HTC Corporation (HTC) is a global leader in mobile phone innovat
ion and design. Since its establishment, HTC has developed strong R&D capabilities, pioneered many new designs and product innovations and launched state-of-the-art mobile phones for mobile operators and distributors in Europe, the US, Asia and around the world. HTC is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile device market. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

Todd Peters, VP of marketing for the Windows Mobile Division said that while Microsoft was looking into beefing up WinMo’s features, its strategy for the new year was to limit the number of devces using the OS.

Right now about 140 mobile phones use WinMo. Peters said Microsoft is hoping to shrink that number in order to not “have its efforts diluted over too many devices.”

I’d rather have fewer devices and be more focused,” he said. That way “we get better integration” between phone and operating system.

Peters wasn’t clear about the criteria Microsoft was going to use to limit Windows Mobile roll-outs. Will they restrict it to more powerful phones that are capable of running WinMo without the lag (kind of like that Vista ready label, only… actually ready) or is it Microsoft making more of an effort to actually design the OS to every specific phone its licensed on? [New York Times]

HP’s choice to use Windows Mobile here is an expected one, but it’s still unclear how they plan to differentiate these handsets from the existing crowd of nearly identical hardware running the aging OS. In a best-case scenario, HP expands their TouchSmart brand downward, adapting their impressive PC touch interfaces to phones, hiding Windows, as HTC has for years, under a slick, modern shell. There’s no mention of such software on HP’s spec pages, we can hope, right? The Voice and Data Communicators are only available in Europe now, for €399 and €499, respectively. [HP via Slashphone]