HTC Touch Pro2 users on Sprint should stock up on party hats and streamers as the Now Network is gearing up for a Friday release of the long overdue software update to Windows Mobile 6.5. To be available through both the Sprint and HTC websites, the update will finally bring Sprint’s Touch Pro2 up to snuff with that of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon handsets, the last of which received its update back in January. Thanks, Sprint. For a moment there we thought you forgot all about this.

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Following closely on the heels of Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile has rolled out Windows Mobile 6.5 for its Touch Pro2 and Dash 3G handsets. The update rolled out earlier than the target  date of January 20th and is accessible from T-Mobile’s website once you enter in your handset’s IMEI. While AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile customers now enjoy the new experience offered by Windows Mobile 6.5, Sprint customers are left waiting in the wings. Their patience may be rewarded as Sprint customers may be getting something more than the plain jane Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade. A statement from Sprint suggests that the Sprint flavor of Windows Mobile 6.5 may offer “significant enhancements to the Touch Pro2 user interface which will allow additional customization / personalization options and more integration with the applications users access most.” Is Sprint promoting this upgrade with over-hyped marketing speak  in order to placate Touch Pro2 owners or is Sprint really alluding to the mythical Windows Mobile 6.6 which is rumored to be unveiled at MWC 2010 next month?

[Via TmoNews]

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Every year countless gifts are given during the holidays. Some of them are great, and some of them… well, you can’t win ‘em all. We’ve never done a Gift Guide before but with countless new products popping up almost weekly, we’re surprised those of you who aren’t glued to BGR are able to pick out a gift at all. Sorting everything by price point didn’t make much sense as the average price of what’s listed is around $199 after rebate, so we sorted it by lust-factor. We’re working on a couple other Gift Guides but in the meantime, here’s our cell phone one.

It’s fine, you don’t have to gift wrap it

LG enV TOUCH

If your loved one drops your smartphone like a hot potato because it’s “too complicated”, the LG enV TOUCH may be the perfect gift. Featuring an external 3 inch touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, drop dead easy menu controls and an HTML browser that runs over an EV-DO Rev. A connection (read: fast), the enV Touch has made our most worthy list for moderately geeky folk this holiday season.

Available exclusively at Verizon Wireless for $99.99 with two year agreement after mail in rebate.

BlackBerry Curve 8520

The latest BlackBerry in the Curve-series from Research In Motion is the BlackBerry Curve 8520, and it packs a punch for a pretty small price. Is it top of the line? No, but it can most definitely get the job done if you’re considering it as a gift for a young professional, recent college-bound individual, or even a mother or father. Everything is neatly packed into this QWERTY keyboard BlackBerry. Things like a 2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, extra memory for installing applications and games, and a super long lasting battery round the feature-set

Available from T-Mobile and AT&T in the U.S. starting at $129.99 with two year agreement after mail in rebate.

Sprint HTC Hero

The second best Android handset in the U.S. definitely deserves some love, too, and whomever ultimately ends up receiving the Hero will probably be a happy camper. Featuring a great display, 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, and an intuitive user interface (read: it’s simple to use), there’s not a whole lot bad to say about Sprint’s Hero. The price is even attractive.

Available exclusively from Sprint for $179.99 with two year agreement after mail in rebate.

HTC Touch Pro2

HTC’s update to their original Touch Pro is practically available on all major carriers in the U.S., and for good reason. If you’re the business type that demands a Windows Mobile handset and are big on conference calling while on the move, there isn’t anything better. It’s one of the most enjoyable phones we’ve ever used to talk on, and its call quality / conference calling / speakerphone is more or less unmatched. It’s a little pricey, though.

Available from T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless for $299-$349.99 with two year agreement after mail in rebate.

Nokia E71x

It’s not brand new, but it’s still one of the finest devices that handset-leader Nokia manufactures. What do you get in such a small package? 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS, a 3 megapixel autofocus camera, a decent QWERTY keyboard and an all black finish. The operating system that powers the E71x is getting a little dated, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a host of applications and games available for it. Plus, you can’t really beat the price.

Available exclusively from AT&T for $49.99 with two year agreement after mail in rebates.

Aww, I love it!

Motorola DROID

There are no ifs, ands, or buts. Motorola’s DROID handset is simply the greatest Android phone to date, and from what we’re hearing, it’s a hot seller. If you’re looking for a gift for your anarchist, anti-establishment son, or maybe a husband that gets caught trying to jailbreak his iPod touch, then maybe they might enjoy an Android phone by Motorola. If you’re looking for a gift for a daughter, sister, or wife, the DROID might not be the best choice, however.

Available exclusively on Verizon Wireless for $199 with two year agreement after mail in rebate.

Dude, fetch me a paper bag, I can’t breathe

BlackBerry 9700

There isn’t much to it: if your loved one is a BlackBerry-addicted individual and demands the best, there really isn’t anything better. From the pocketable design to the always functional keyboard, global roaming and multimedia features, the BlackBerry 9700 has our vote for the best BlackBerry of all time. (Beyonce music video available for download separately).

Available from AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. for $199 with two year agreement after mail in rebate.

iPhone 3GS

Look, they’ve begged you each and every year, you might as well just give in this time. The iPhone 3GS is Apple’s latest smartphone straight out of Cupertino and it’s a beauty. With an unmatched user interface and practically limitless applications and games (just watch out for those iTunes email receipts), this is one iPod that will be sure to keep the kids, nephews, parents, and even grandparents quiet. And happy, too. Just make sure they’re wearing headphones because we’re heard enough Andrea Bocelli out off Grandma’s iPhone.

Available exclusively on AT&T in the U.S. in both 16GB and 32GB sizes for $199 or $299 respectively with two year agreement.

Andrew Munchbach and Kelly Kodgkins also contributed to this article.

Happy holidays, y’all!

Businessmen and women have been able to get their hands on it for the past 10 days, but starting today AT&T will sell the HTC Tilt2 to us regular folk. The second Windows Phone Windows Mobile 6.5 handset to be offered by AT&T after the Pure, the Tilt2 is available for $299.99 on a 2-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate or $499.99 contract free. But we have to ask for the sake of stirring up a little Sunday discussion: Considering the fact that all four carriers in the US offer up the Tilt2 in one form or another, why pick AT&T over Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon?

Thanks, Alexander!

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AT&T officially said sometime in the “coming weeks” as far as the Tilt 2 release date was concerned, but we’ve got that translated out for you — October 8th. Since we also got our hands on the internal training document (it’s dated October 2nd, so it’s very recent), we screencapped a couple slides for informational purposes. There are nice comparisons against the AT&T Pure as well as one on troubleshooting when the device crashes. Yeah.

While many of you spent last night watching grown men pummel one another into submission, we here at BGR put in some over time so we could get to the bottom of the pricing of some upcoming AT&T smartphones. And just as you would expect, we’ve come through. First off we have two HTC offerings, the Tilt2 (Touch Pro2) and Pure (Touch Diamond2). On contract and after applying $50 MIRs, we’ve heard the Tilt2 will be $299.99 while the Pure will go for $199.99. Off contract, you’re looking at $499.99 and $349.99 respectively. Second, we have the Garmin-ASUS nüvifone G60 which will finally ditch its North American vaporware status when it hits retail shelves with the 2-year price of $299.99 after a $100 MIR. Off contract, the G60 will command $549.99, a princely sum, indeed. Unfortunately we’ve not been able to confirm the AT&T Pure or nüvifone G60 release dates, but we do have a pretty accurate idea on the Tilt 2. Still, we’d expect to see all three of these devices before the end of October based upon the fact that this is when these prices are effective until.

UPDATE: We’ve just been sent a photo of the pricing for the AT&T Pure which shows it actually going for $149.99 with a two-year agreement.

Oh no, we’re not done just yet ladies and gents. We already know October 6th is going to be a glorious day and now it looks like AT&T subscribers will be able to join in on the fun. Have you been feeling left out, wondering when AT&T would finally launch the HTC Touch Pro2 that is already available from T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon? Dry those eyes, as AT&T apparently had a good reason to hold off on the launch. According to our ninja, AT&T is preparing to launch the Pro2 — dubbed Tilt 2 by AT&T as we already know — on October 6th. Since the release will come after Windows Mobile 6.5 becomes a reality on the 6th, it’s a safe bet that the Tilt 2 will pack WinMo 6.5 right out of the box if all goes according to plan. Sure, it might have taken a while but AT&T fans can now take solace in knowing they’ll be rocking 6.5 while other Pro2 owners are busy trying to upgrade.

UPDATE: It looks like the target release date of the 6th will be missed due to a few bugs that still need to be ironed out and tested. The new target is apparently October 18th.

It’s official, Verizon fans — one of the sexiest Windows Mobile handsets to launch this year can be yours starting tomorrow. Just like we exclusively scooped last week, the HTC Touch Pro2 will be available tomorrow, September 11th for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract. While $200 is a substantial amount of money of course, it looks like peanuts compared to the insane $349.99 Sprint and T-Mobile are asking. Customers looking to score a Pro2 from Sprint or Tmo shouldn’t despair just yet though — Verizon’s insanely competitive pricing will likely clear the early adopter tax from both carrier’s offerings relatively quickly. If you’re a Verizon customer however, there’s no need to wait. Anyone planning on snagging one of these bad boys tomorrow?

UPDATE: For those asking below, Verizon has confirmed to us that the Touch Pro2 will be $489.99 off contract.

Thanks, Jason!

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We’re willing to forgive the horrible quality on these press mock ups of Sprint’s HTC Touch Pro2 because, well, we’re just way too happy to see this sucker get official to care. Are you a current or prospective Sprint subscriber? Do you have $350 dollars burning a hole in your pocket and a hankering for one of the sexiest Windows Mobile phones on earth? Rest easy friends, as Sprint has just officially announced the HTC Touch Pro2. That’s right Sprint fans, the Pro2′s giant tilting 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen display, landscape QWERTY keypad, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus and TouchFLO 3D UI can soon be yours. Sprint’s Touch Pro2 will launch next Tuesday, September 8th, for $349.99 on a 2-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. Sure the early adopter tax is higher than usual but you know what they say — you have to pay to play.

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Yes, indeed, the day so many of you have been patiently waiting for has arrived as T-Mobile’s HTC Touch Pro2 is now on sale. Arguably the greatest Windows Mobile handset to ever grace this great green earth, the Touch Pro2 features a 3.6-inch WVGA restive touchscreen display, sliding QWERTY keypad, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus, Wi-Fi, GPS, 512MB ROM/288MB RAM, microSDHC support and a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7200A processor — all working to make this Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone with TouchFLO 3D the gem that it is. The only problem as we see it is the 2-year price tag that could make even a hardened extortionist weep: $349.99. Then again, perhaps we’re being too hard on T-Mobile’s pricing; there are worse things you could be spending your hard earned money on, right?

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Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T? You bet. The first live image of an AT&T-branded HTC Touch Pro2 has emerged proving once and for all that, yes, the device codenamed Fortress is indeed headed to AT&T. It’s way too early to speculate on price and release date (or is it?), but we do have something fairly interesting to report. If you took a close look at our exclusive leak of AT&T’s upcoming launch list you’ll have noticed that the HTC Tilt 2 was listed as model number ST7377. Now take a look at the slide of the Fortress that we saw emerge back in May. Notice anything like, say, a model number of T7337? It appears that the AT&T Touch Pro2 will be released as the Tilt 2 meaning that the Fuze is likely to never have any offspring. Welcome back, Tilt moniker.

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Well, hear us out. We’ve had a flurry of tips sent in today that Verizon Wireless has dropped the prices of almost all existing smartphones they offer to only $99 with a two-year agreement. This obviously signifies one thing and it’s not Verizon just being nice (though they generally are friendly when we ring them up): new crap is coming. The much-awaited Touch Pro2 looks to be landing on VZ shortly (the Touch Pro dropped from $419 to $99) and while we doubt the BlackBerry Storm 2 is going to launch earlier than November, there’s still only two smartphones we can find above $99. Those are the BlackBerry Tour and Samsung Saga. So, new handsets coming relatively soon and obviously a little reaction to the $99 iPhone pricing, existing smartphones and BlackBerrys on Verizon Wireless just got a whole bunch less expensive.

Thanks, to everyone that hit us up!

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Canadian Windows Mobile junkies have a couple of reasons to smile this afternoon as TELUS has begun selling two great WinMo packin’ smartphones: the HTC Snap and Touch Pro2. Priced at $0 and $249.99 respectively on 3-year deals with voice and data discount (or $399.99 and $649.99 outright), both the Snap and Touch Pro2 are sure to please prosumers and business users alike. Apart from their obvious differences, each device has an abundance of features including email support, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, speakerphone, visual voicemail, global GSM roaming and well over five hours of talk-time per device. So, Canadians, who’s in?

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Well, you wanted it, you got it. T-Mobile just confirmed one of the worst kept secrets and we’re sure there a bunch of happy people out there. T-Mobile 3G, Wi-Fi — an awesome device all around. Look for it to pop into your local hood starting mid-August and available on the 12th through T-Mobile.com and phone sales!

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The good folks over at T-Mobile always do their best to bring hot new GSM phones to market as quickly as possible. With a subscriber count around 40 million however, manufacturers are seemingly more eager to deal with AT&T and its 80 million-or-so customers more often than not. Keeping that in mind, if T-Mobile can manage to bring the highly sought-after HTC Touch Pro2 to market before its GSM rival, it will definitely be a noteworthy coup. We still have no firm word on when AT&T will be cracking a champagne bottle on the Pro2′s hull but often-rumored August 12th launch date for T-Mobile’s sequel to the aged Wing just got a bit firmer thanks to the leaked sheet above. While pricing is still a mystery, we can assume it’ll come in towards the top of Tmo’s lineup and as such, a more affordable QWERTY option is rumored to become available the following week — the Samsung Gravity 2, another sequel. Though it was officially announced last week, there is still no official word on the pricing or release date for this messaging machine. While the handset’s price still alludes us, it looks like T-Mobile has August 18th pegged for its launch. Hit the jump for the supporting sheet for the Gravity 2 and let us know if either of these upcoming phones will have a place in your pocket and more importantly, in your heart.

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