HTC Touch Pro2 from AT&T, WM 6.5 Upgrades, Bing for Windows Mobile

With the HTC Touch Pro2 now available from T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint, AT&T is the lone holdout. Rumors have pegged it for October 18. This week we’ll also talk about whether to upgrade from a Touch Pro to Touch Pro2 and about upgrades for older devices. And, for the sake of variety, we’ll briefly note a new app for using Bing.

Touch Pro vs Touch Pro2

With all the buzz about the Touch Pro2, what about those people who already have the Touch Pro? Is it worth upgrading? PocketNow took on this question, and as you might expect, gadget lovers that they are, they feel like it’s worth upgrading. A main factor they cite is the screen, which is 30% larger, has higher resolution, and can now tilt. On the down side, the camera no longer has a flash.

AT&T Touch Pro2, Diamond2 Rumors

So the blogs are saying that you can definitely expect the Touch Pro2 from AT&T in October, the last of the four major carriers in the U.S. to introduce this popular Windows Mobile phone. The rumors are that it will be called the AT&T Tilt2. The Boy Genius Report has actually posted a road-map of AT&T’s plans for the rest of the year.

A post on PocketNow says that the Tilt2 will be priced at $299 after rebates, which is more than Verizon’s $199 price but less than the $349 from Sprint and T-Mobile. The post also says that the Touch Diamond2 will be coming from AT&T at a price of $150. Unlike the Touch Pro2, which has a slideout QWERTY keyboard, the Diamond2 has a more iPhone-like form factor.

And another post on PocketNow says that the expected arrival of the Touch Pro2 is October 18.

More Info on WM 6.5 Upgrades

I kept reading that Windows Mobile 6.5 would only work on devices that have the new ROM, and that that pretty much limits it to a few devices released in the last couple months.

But now it appears that Samsung will be making WM 6.5 available for the Samsung Epix and Jack, according to a post on PocketNow. And Engadget is reporting that 6.5 will be available for the entire Omnia line.

It’s always nice to hear from my readers, and one pointedly asked me why I said it’s not recommended to use a “cooked ROM” to run WM 6.5 on older devices. Well, I kept hearing that anytime you fiddle with a device in this fashion, you risk damaging it. But he emphasized that there are expert services that will do it for you. From what I understand, though, while it may be safe and legitimate to cook the ROM on your device, it’s illegal to use a version of the software that hasn’t been licensed. Your call, but it’s good to stay within the law.

Bing for Windows Mobile

I really like Microsoft’s new search engine called Bing. And now they’ve released an application that lets you access Bing on your device. In addition to search you get movie listings, restaurant reviews, maps, and more. Point your mobile browser at m.bing.com/download.