You might not be able to get your hands on one until next Tuesday but we have a little treat this morning for Windows Mobile fans waiting impatiently for the HTC Imagio. Apparently a Verizon Wireless distributor has thrown caution to the wind and decided to preview the unreleased handset in great detail on YouTube. From front to back and top to bottom, the video walks you through just about everything you’ll need to see in order to decide whether or not this puppy is for you. So if waiting another five days to examine Verizon’s first Windows Mobile 6.5-powered handset is just too torturous for you, hit the jump and enjoy eight solid minutes of WinMo 6.5 action.

Thanks, Mr. Hi-Def!

Although not a soul alive is shocked by the news, today Verizon Wireless announced it will be releasing the HTC Imagio — its first Windows Mobile 6.5 device — online starting October 6th. The Imagio, known to most by its codename Whitestone, will feature the following key specs: 3.6″ WVGA touchscreen display (resistive, of course), 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, Wi-Fi, EV-DO Rev. A, quad-band EDGE and 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA for international roaming. Being a WinMo device from HTC, TouchFLO 3D is naturally included while Verizon will be chipping in MediaFLO support for those who are willing to part with an extra $15 per month. So what will the Imagio cost come its big day? $199.99 on a 2-year deal after a $100 MIR which isn’t all that shabby, all things considered.

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One of our ninjas just blessed us with a look at a portion of AT&T’s Windows Mobile road-map for the rest of the year. Quickly glancing at it we can see that the AT&T Tilt 2 will obviously launch in October, and refreshingly, the Samsung Epix and Samsung Jack will be getting upgrades to Windows Mobile 6.5 courtesy of upcoming maintenance releases. What’s more exciting, however, are the HP Obsidian and LG Monaco launches. While not brand new to the world, it’s nice to know that these Windows Mobile business-focused handsets will finally see the light of day come November. We know October is going to be full of 6.5 handsets like the Tilt 2 and Pure, and November shows no signs of slowing down either. Here’s a quick refresher on specifications for the LG Monaco and HP Obsidian and a larger shot after the break:

HP Obsidian:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100MHz)
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Wi-Fi b,g
• QWERTY keyboard
• microSD slot
• GPS
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Windows Mobile 6.5

LG Monaco:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100MHz)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Wi-Fi b,g
• Slide-out full QWERTY keyboard
• GPS
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera

Thanks, Feech!

Are you an AT&T subscriber anxiously awaiting the day when you can finally make the HTC Tilt 2 your own? If so, good news first came back in August when we gave you a screenshot of the handset sitting pretty in AT&T’s system. Things got even better yesterday when we told you the highly anticipated phone is scheduled to drop in mid-October with Windows Mobile 6.5 in tow. Today, just for good measure, one of our eagle-eyed tipsters managed to unearth a new screenshot, this time with the Tilt 2 holding a slightly more established position in AT&T’s system. Our last capture simply showed entries for the standard Tilt 2 along with a No Camera version — this time around we can clearly see that AT&T has added insurance options for both versions of the Windows Phone, as well as entries for used handsets. We’re also hearing that training is set to kick off soon after having been delaying due to the bug we mentioned yesterday. That bug, by the way, involved an AT&T-specific addition to the software, meaning those of you upset by the two-week delay shouldn’t be blaming HTC or Microsoft. Mmm hmm.

It looks as though T-Mobile subscribers will have two big reasons reasons to rejoice come November 11th, but they’re not the only ones with cause for celebration in the near future. Let’s not forget that Windows Mobile fans around the world will have a reason to party well ahead of that; in fact, one of our trusty ninjas has just added to the Windows Phone fray with the juicy tidbit that on October 6th — the day Windows Mobile 6.5 devices lift off globally — Verizon Wireless plans to get in on the action with the HTC Imagio. Codenamed Whitestone and previously mistaken for the Touch Diamond2, the Imagio features WinMo 6.5 along with a 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen display, a 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB ROM/256MB RAM, a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and anti-shake, GPS and GSM connectivity in addition to Verizon’s CDMA/EV-DO connectivity. As a tasty little aside, we’ve heard from a few sources that the HTC Predator will likely land on VZW later in October, though for the time being all we know is that it will run Android. Getting excited yet, Verizon fans?

While word of the Toshiba TG01 heading to the US isn’t expected any time soon, we may have another Snapdragon-powered WinMo handset headed our way in the not-too-distant future. Sure, we’ve had the specs for a while and we recently got to enjoy some live pics, but there’s nothing like seeing the HTC Leo strut it’s multi-touch stuff on camera to get those juices flowing. Mmmm, a little 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen action is just what the doctor ordered. Hit the jump for a quick video of this sexy, albeit mammoth Windows Phone showing off for the camera and get ready for what will undoubtedly be a hefty price tag once the Leo gets official.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

[Via MobileTechWorld]

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What? You thought Sprint was done now that it announced the HTC Hero? Apparently things are just getting started, Sprint fans, as two new handsets have popped up on Sprint rebate sheets valid through October 31st, and you know what that means — well, sort of. Rebate sheets have a tendency to be tricky territory because the handsets found within don’t always launch when you might expect. They do however, give a good general time frame nonetheless. On to the details… The first handset, dubbed the Samsung Intrepid, is the Ace sequel many of you have been waiting for. Details are a bit limited for the time being but we know it’ll run Windows Mobile 6.5 so the soonest we could possibly see it is October 6th (though we think it may come a bit later). Rumored specs include a 528MHz processor, QWERTY keypad, 3 megapixel camera, CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A and GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, Wi-Fi, aGPS, microSDHC support and a QVGA display. Most importantly perhaps, at least as far as current Samsung Ace owners are concerned, it’s said to sport 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM. As for the other unannounced handset — the Samsung Moment — we’ve got nothing for the time being but details will surely find their way to light now that we know this bad boy is out there. Hit the jump for a bigger version of the image above along with one more shot.

Thanks, schnurgun!

In case you were wondering, yes, the flood gates are open. Windows Phones — or handsets running Windows Mobile 6.5, for the marketing impaired — are raining down left and right since Microsoft’s official announcement that Windows Mobile 6.5 is set for takeoff on October 6th. LG promised three Windows Phones right off the bat with 10 more to come in the near future, and now the second piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. If the GW550 wasn’t your cup of tea, perhaps we can interest you in a slightly stronger brew dubbed the GM750. This full touchscreen handset features WinMo 6.5 of course, along with LG’s S Class UI, a 3-inch display, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and an accelerometer. While pricing hasn’t yet been made available, the GM750 will launch on October 6th in seven Vodafone markets (Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK).

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Did you hear that? That’s the sound of Windows Mobile fans around the world breathing a simultaneous sigh of relief upon learning that Windows Mobile 6.5-powered handsets, or “Windows Phones”, will finally become available beginning October 6th. Official word just came down from Redmond and we couldn’t be happier to see 6.5 finally preparing to become a reality. As per the announcement, here is an official list of carriers and manufacturers around the globe that are already on board:

• In North America: Mobile operators AT&T, Bell Mobility, Sprint, TELUS and Verizon Wireless, and phone manufacturers HP, HTC Corp., LG Electronics, Samsung and Toshiba Corp.
• In Europe: Mobile operators Orange, Deutsche Telekom AG and Vodafone Group Plc, and phone manufacturers Acer, HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba
• In Latin America: Mobile operator TIM Brazil, and phone manufacturers HTC, LG Electronics and Samsung
• In Asia Pacific: Mobile operators NTT DoCoMo Inc., SoftBank Mobile Corp., SK Telecom, Telstra and WILLCOM Inc., and phone manufacturers Acer Inc., HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba

As for which devices we might see launch right out the gate, it’s still a bit of a mystery for the time being. Expect the HTC Mega to become a reality around that time of course, and odds are pretty good that the Samsung Omnia II and maybe even the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will reach market on or soon after the 6th. Anyone as excited as we are to see WinMo 6.1 replaced?

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There was a bit of confusion surrounding one of our scoops from earlier this month regarding a screenshot of a Best Buy inventory sheet. For those who were unclear, yes, the dates listed there are in-stock dates and not launch dates. From what we can gather so far, most (but not all) of the shipments were indeed received, but that is not confirmed. In any event, the most anticipated handset on that list was likely the Samsung Omnia II, and those who are still skeptical will be happy to learn Samsung has indeed confirmed that the handset is coming soon to Verizon. A new dedicated page on the Samsung Mobile USA site was just spied by an eagle-eyed reader and it also confirms that the Omnia II will be a Verizon exclusive, at least initially. There’s a link for those interested to sign up for an email once the handset is announced, but you can be sure you’ll read about it here long before any such email is delivered. Excited, WinMo fans?

Thanks, Pandabarr!

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Rumor has it that the Sony Ericsson Xperia 2 will be made official next week at a yet-to-be announced Sony Ericsson press event. The QWERTY side slider is expected to debut with Windows Mobile 6.5 under its hood along with an 8.1 megapixel camera with auto focus, 3.5-inch WVGA OLED display, aGPS, 512MB RAM, 3.5 mm headphone jack and an accelerometer. With the HTC Touch Pro2 making the rounds, the Samsung Omnia II arriving soon and now the Xperia X2 likely getting official, it looks like Windows Mobile fans will have a smorgasbord of phones to lust after in the weeks and months to come.

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We can’t believe we’re about to type these words… But it looks like Samsung may have done an infinitely better job of skinning Windows Mobile 6.5 than HTC — at least out of the gate. Earlier this morning, a truckload of Samsung Omnia II screen captures were uncovered and, well, we’ll be damned if Samsung didn’t do a bang up job with its TouchWiz 2.0 UI on top of WinMo 6.5. Shortly thereafter, ai.rs blog followed up with a new render of the mid-range HTC Mega along with a handful of screenshots. The UI mask is looking good, and a little Sense UI-ish, but it doesn’t look anywhere near as thorough or sexified as Samsung’s efforts. Now to be fair, we know that the Mega is going to be part of HTC’s mid-range crop so we’ll have to wait and see how Windows Mobile 6.5 is looking on the company’s higher end handsets before reaching any real conclusions. Hit the jump for a few screenshots of the UI along with an updated list of reported specs.

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While the US is still waiting on official word from Samsung, a carrier or anyone else in terms of when the Omnia II might touch down in the US, ai.rs blog has managed to score a whole host of screenshots from the sexy new handset. Why are we so interested in screenshots — how does TouchWiz 2.0 sitting on top of Windows Mobile 6.5 Pro sound? It appears as though Samsung has done a bang up job in covering much of the UI with touchy wizzy goodness, and ai.rs reveals a whole slew of screens — 37 in total. Truth be told, it doesn’t look bad at all. Hit the jump for a giant version of the image above along with a few more caps, and hit the read link for the rest. Mmm, UI band aids.

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Earlier this week we reported some rumored details of the upcoming HTC Leo and today it looks like things are now getting flushed out a bit. Actually, it looks like the Leo may turn out the be the HTC Firestone we first saw back in January. While all this is still in the rumor phase of course, we can’t help but get a little giddy each and every time we see mention of Qualcomm’s 1GHz beast of a processor.So behold — the kind of, maybe, sort of, possible specs for the HTC Leo/Firestone:

• Quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity
• Dual-band HSDPA connectivity (900/2100 MHz)
• 4.3-inch WVGA (480 x 800) capacitive touchscreen display
• Windows Mobile 6.5
• Qualcomm 1GHz MSM 8250 Snapdragon processor
• Wi-Fi
• GPS, A-GPS
• Accelerometer
• Light & proximity sensors
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with dual LED flash
• 512MB flash memory, 320MB RAM
• MicroSD card support
• 1230 mAh battery
• 121 x 67 x 11 millimeters

Mmmm, Windows Mobile 6.5 with a giant capacitive WVGA touchscreen and a Snapdragon processor. Yeah, we want it.

[Via wmpoweruser]

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There it is, Windows Mobile developers — the day you’ve kind of, sort of, maybe been waiting for. Todd Brix, Senior Director for Mobile Platform Services Product Management at Microsoft has just announced that the company will begin accepting app submissions in 29 supported countries on July 27th. As in, less than two weeks from today. Woo! Brix goes on to report that Microsoft is on schedule to launch its “Windows Marketplace for Mobile” this fall alongside Windows Mobile 6.5. Current users shouldn’t fret of course, as the Marketplace will also be available on WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 before the year is out. So what say you, Windows Mobile fans — think the Marketplace can compete?

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