T-Mobile USA's announcement of HTC's Touch Pro2 appears to be the first time this flagship phone has been offered by a U.S. carrier. The long-awaited device, first announced in February, has already been put on sale by T-Mobile in Europe, where it's known as the MDA Vario V.

Only slightly modified from the European original, T-Mobile USA's Touch Pro2 features an added 1700MHz operating frequency and a new "mocha" case. As before, it sports a QWERTY keyboard that slides out at an angle via what T-Mobile calls a "kick tail" mechanism, making the phone resemble a miniature laptop computer.

T-Mobile USA's HTC Touch Pro2

The Touch Pro2 has a 3.6-inch screen with WVGA (800 x 480) resolution, plus Windows Mobile 6.1, HTC's TouchFLO 3D user interface, and a customized version of the Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser. It's said the device also features Microsoft Voice Command software and is compatible with T-Mobile's "myFaves" feature, which provides unlimited calling to five U.S. domestic numbers.

T-Mobile says the Touch Pro2 additionally provides a high-quality speakerphone, plus "Straight Talk" technology that "provides a simple way to respond to email via a call, allows organizing conference calls from group e-mail, and makes it easy to turn any location into a conference room." The phone also has a 3.2 megapixel camera that can record video, the carrier adds.

T-Mobile's Touch Pro2 has a 528MHz Qualcomm MDM7200 processor, backed by an unspecified quantity of RAM -- international versions of the phone have 288MB -- and 512MB of flash storage. Featuring GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi, the phone operates on GSM/GRPS/EDGE/UMTS networks, T-Mobile says.

Finally, though it did not specify the size of the Touch Pro2's lithium-ion battery, T-Mobile says the device offers up to 5.5 hours talk time and up to 8.3 days of standby. The device has a microSD slot for memory expansion, the carrier adds.

Features and specifications listed by T-Mobile HTC for the Touch Pro2 include:

• Processor -- Qualcomm MDM7200A clocked at 528MHz
• Memory -- 512MB of flash storage (RAM n/s but is 288MB on other versions of this phone)
• Display -- 3.6-inch screen with WVGA resolution (800 x 480 pixels)
• Cameras -- 3.2 megapixel main camera with autofocus
• Wireless:
  • WAN -- Five-band (850/900/1700/1800/1900MHz) GSM/GPRS/EDGE
  • LAN -- 802.11b/g wireless
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
  • GPS
• Other I/O:
  • HTC ExtUSB (mini-USB connector, also providing headphone output)
• Expansion -- microSD slot
• Battery type/life:
  • Lithium-ion battery (capacity n/s, but 1500mAh on other versions of this phone
  • Talk time -- Up to 5.5 hours
  • Standby time -- Up to 8.3 days
• Dimensions -- 4.19 x 2.36 x 0.67 inches
• Weight -- 6.45 ounces

Travis Warren, director of product marketing for T-Mobile USA, stated, "This summer, many people are balancing summer vacations and time away from the office with the pressures of the workplace. We are pleased to announce the HTC Touch Pro2, a uniquely designed device that will help customers manage their day-to-day activities, whether they are in the office or working from an airport, the local playground or the car."

Availability

T-Mobile USA says the Touch Pro2 will be available on August 12 at retail stores and online. Pricing was not addressed.

---

Related stories:

• HTC revs flagship Windows Mobile phones
• T-Mobile USA spins new Windows phones
• HTC phone has enhanced GPS capabilities
• HTC reaches out with more Touches
• HTC ups Touch resolution
• Guide to HTC's Windows Mobile smartphones
• HTC flagships enter U.S. waters
• HTC phone has slide-out keyboard and TV output
• HTC phone features fingertip browsing
• Windows Mobile handset sports intuitive touch UI
• HTC announces unlocked Windows Mobile 6.1 phone
• 3.5G phone boasts touch, slide-out keyboard