T-Mobile Picks Up Touch Pro 2T-Mobile Picks Up Touch Pro 2

T-Mobile is looking to attract mobile professionals when it releases the Touch Pro 2 next month.

The handset is an update to the popular Touch Pro, and it features a large resistive touch screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The smartphone is designed for heavy e-mail users, and it is compatible with corporate messaging infrastructure and Web-based providers like Gmail and Yahoo Mail. HTC has put in a feature called Straight Talk, which enables users to respond to e-mails via a call, as well as organize conference calls from a group e-mail.

The Pro 2 is powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, and it is expected to be upgradable to the 6.5 version of the software later this year. Like many of its smartphones, HTC has layered the TouchFLO 3-D user interface on top of Windows Mobile, and this brings a more finger-friendly user experience.

The smartphone comes packed with multiple connectivity options users expect from a high-end handset including Wi-Fi, EDGE, and Bluetooth, and it can use T-Mobile's growing AWS 3G network. The Pro 2 also has a GPS chipset that can be used for navigation and location-based searches, and HTC said it boosted the battery capabilities by 50%.

HTC's smartphone will also be a capable multimedia device, as it can play various types of audio and video files, and it has stereo Bluetooth capabilities. The Pro 2 also comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus features. Users will be able to expand the memory via the microSD slot.

T-Mobile customers will be able to pick up the Pro 2 beginning August 12, and the companies have not given an expected retail price.

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