The device is based on Intel's new "Ultra Mobile Platform 2007" spec and incorporates low-power Intel Pentium M processor technology.

(Click here for a larger view of the HTC Shift)

The Shift represents HTC's first UMPC platform design. The Taiwanese ODM (original design manufacturer) has developed a wide range of reference platforms for Windows Mobile smartphones and PDA/phones, and is estimated to be the source of 80 percent of the Windows Mobile smartphones and PDA/phones being sold today, so this new UMPC reference platform may bode well for the future of the UMPC as a form-factor.


(Click for larger image)
According to HTC, the Shift provides "all the power, functionality, and connectivity busy professionals need in a sleek, portable design."

In addition to its flexible folding capability (shown on the right), the Shift offers high-speed global connectivity via its tri-band UMTS/HSDPA, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, and WiFi wireless capabilities. It sports a 7-inch widescreen touch display and a QWERTY keyboard, and packs a 30 GB hard drive. The device "leverages" Windows Media Player 11 for access to music, videos, and photos, HTC said.

The HTC Shift runs Microsoft's Windows Vista Business edition.

Ultra Mobile Platform 2007

Intel unveiled the Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 last month at its Developer Forum in Beijing. The platform (block diagram) centers around a chipset that comprises two Intel processors, the A100 and A110. The A100 features a 600 MHz CPU clock rate, while the A110 clocks up to 800 MHz. Both offer 400 MHz FSB (front-side bus) speeds and come in 14 X 19 mm packages.

In addition to targeting Windows-based UMPCs, Intel's new Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 is intended for Linux-based "MIDs" (Mobile Internet Devices), which are smaller, less functional, and have 4- to 6-inch displays.

Further details on the both the Platform and the chipset appear in our earlier coverage of Intel's Beijing announcement.

HTC Shift availability

The device is expected to be available in the US and Europe in the third quarter of 2007, according to HTC. Pricing was not disclosed.

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