We like HTC. We like what they do with the cellphone carriers in the USA. We like that they make high-end handsets that the vendors can label themselves, thereby adding some parity in the phone market. As most major HTC phones have versions for all four carriers, you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out because you’re stuck on Verizon or whatever. And we like that their phones get better and better.
This is the AT&T Tilt you’ve been hearing about. It’s one of the most high-end phones you can buy in America right now, features wise. It’s lacking nothing. Bluetooth? Check. Wi-Fi? Yup. GPS? Affirmative. Super-bright touchscreen with innovative tilt design, revealing a nice-to-the-touch QWERTY keypad? You bet. And it lands October 5th for $299. That’s right, $299 for the most feature-packed phone in North America. What is it that makes this handset so amazing?
Everything we’d heard rumored is in this thing. We’d figured there was no way this guy could do it all, but it certainly does it all, and then some. The Windows Mobile 6 is a welcome upgrade from those using the now-old 8525’s WinMo5. In addition, the 3-Megapixel camera isn’t too bad, though it’s lacking a flash.
For fun, you’ve got all three major IM clients built-in, as well as XM radio capabilities and enough games to keep you happy even a long flight. MMS and other video fun is included, too.
Also, it makes telephone calls.
Size-wise, the Tilt comes in on the large side of the spectrum. That’s to be expected, given its laundry list of features. That doesn’t mean it’s too large to use, in fact it slips in the pocket nicely, and has a very solid feel to it, including the tilting screen.
It’s not quite perfect, though. Besides the fact that it’s running Windows Mobile (I know, I know) and lacking a flash, the device doesn’t have a built-in GPS application; you can add TeleNav, but only with an associated monthly fee. While the 3G data makes browsing the Web fantastic, the sub-par processor is visibly having problems with large Web pages. Pocket Internet Explorer isn’t much help, either. We installed Opera Mini and things seem to be flying along quite a bit faster.
For a device this size, we would have loved to have seen a full-sized SD card slot, like most Treos have, but we’re limited to standard microSD. Not a total bummer, but more of an annoyance.
Also on that list is placement of the stylus at the bottom of the device. After years of most PDAs and smartphones using the top as the place for stylus storage, it’s a little unnatural to place it at the bottom. It should be at the top, as God intended.
In all, though, the Tilt is a solid offering from AT&T, and with its Exchange sync and PTT, would make a fantastic phone if you’re buying several for an enterprise environment. While for personal use, we’d still recommend a Treo, the Tilt makes for a tempting flagship. And make no mistake, the Tilt is the new sheriff in town at AT&T. Given the “no, me” relationship rumored between Apple and AT&T Wireless, you have to assume that AT&T will position this phone as its top-of-the-line, and we’d tend to agree.
Press Release [Biz News Wire]
Love the Civil War sepia touched photos. Do you have one with General Grant on horseback, talking on his Tilt? ;-)
For the love of god… my birthday is on the 9th…please CrunchGear…hear my prayers.
is that 299 with contract, how much will it be minus contract?
Has anyone installed an app that makes use of the GPS unit? Pocket Streets and Trips, Tom Tom, etc.
How well does it work?
Andy, over on Howardforums, a poster has conducted several tests and confirms that GPS works with 3rd party apps like Tom Tom and Google Maps.
So frustrating that store employees of AT&T never know what’s going on. They don’t know what will be coming in their future shipments, they don’t know about press releases, and they certainly don’t know the concept of customer service. I’m just trying to figure out if I should come in to the office late tomorrow so I can pick one of these up right when the AT&T store opens, or if they won’t get it in till later in the day. It’s always sad when a customer has to work their ass off to get a company to take their money.
@ Andy: Not yet, man. I’ve got Opera Mini working quite well, going to mess around a little more today.
@ Kent: I know, I know. I’m actually colorblind, so I didn’t recognize my friend had left my camera on Sepia. Oops. Still, it’s a good looking device, to be sure.
Well it is the 5th of October now officially all over the world yet no clear display of the Tilt on At&t website. If you look it up on their site u have to call them for pricing. What kind of nonsense is this?
ATT Tilt (version of HTC TyTN II, kaiser) No Front Camera, No business card scanner, No Touch flow (similar to iPhone touch interactive)
Just got the Tilt on Saturday to replace an 8525 that was being used as a paperweight. They finally got it right with the Tilt! The programs are fast and I found the internet experience to be especially fast, even on EDGE. Really fast. Browsing is now a pleasure. The phone is loud and clear and a pleasure to use. The screen is a big upgrade from the 8525 as is the entire unit. It fits better in your hand and is no longer slippery.
On a scale of 10, I give the Tilt an 8.5 and would have rated it higher if the weight were lower, the stylus were at the top and the GPS came with software such as Tom Tom. But overall, this new version looks and feels great and works flawlessly.
Ah, just got the Tilt myself and am generally happy with it (but not with out a few complaints :-\ ) — The keyboard doesn’t work as well in my opinion, the camera is lacking the quality the 8525 had — however, the GPS works great and general responsiveness is good as well
Johnal, I am a Retail Sales Rep for AT&T & would be glad to take your money! You are correct, we are never informed on any dates for sure on the release of new phones because everything is subject to change and the last thing we want is to tell you something that isn’t the truth!
The concept of Customer Service is simple – We serve our Customers in the order they enter our store or in the order their phone call is received – Which is as fair as any Company can be!
If you are insinuating that AT&T has poor Customer Service based on the fact that all Sales Reps & or Customer Service Reps can’t tell you a definite date on when the next latest & greatest device will be released then you are judging without merit!
Everything is always rumor until it is reality & you can quote me on that! Do not count your chickens until they hatch is the old saying!
James Rintamaki, you are mistaken because the 8525 only has a 2 Megapixel Camera where as the 8925 “Tilt” has a 3 Megapixel Camera (1 Million more pixels then the 8525)!
Matt Hickey,
In your Review you say, “the device doesn’t have a built-in GPS application; you can add TeleNav.” You are mistaken, the device does have Built in GPS with a “TeleNav” link available on the device! Sure there is a $9.99 Monthly “TeleNav” GPS Monthly Fee but it is a small fee compared to Regular costly GPS devices that you buy which requires you to pay for the updated map software (which can be very expensive each time it is updated), where “TeleNav” is updated regularly to be accurate without additional cost to you!
I have used “Pocket PC” Devices every since they have been created and by far the AT&T “Tilt” is the best by far in the line-up!
Not because I work for AT&T, but because I know the devices that have come before it with all Companies and the qualities of the “Tilt.” It is by far the best “Smart Phone” ever developed to date!
There are things that we would all like to see developed on all phones, but can we all have everything we want or think every phone will have everything we want – The answer is – NO!
We always want more (some want less)! Those that want more have their concepts that usually are beyond what technology will allow or at least is verging on!
So many people that I deal with, don’t want a camera, text or internet on the phones they are upgrading to, they want the basics and that is all.
I suggest you do your homework & research before you listen to every Joe on the Internet that has something to say about the AT&T Tilt (8925) that may or may not be true!
Get a phone that meets your needs and does what you need it to do!
Renegade, yes, the tilt has more mega pixels, I realize that — however, the quality is not as good! you can check out the sample pictures I took from both of them here (not to plug my review, lol, but : http://www.jrin.net/2007_10_14/review-att-tilt-htc-att-8925 )
the pictures from the tilt just don’t look as good as the 8525’s, or am I wrong here?
Good resource for smart phones!!
What is the maximum sized sd card for the tilt? BTW I just love mine I loaded Opera because pie sux and live search gps up to date tracking at its best
Hey all, just looking at this phone very seriously now. I think I might just pick one up today with a new contract. Really impressed with the features, except for the chincy looking camera on there, I’m afraid it just isn’t up to the quality I am getting out of my full frame canon EOS 5D and 85mm f/1.2L II…. oh well, cell phones still have a long way to go I suppose!
Renegade – I don’t know what kind bovine defecation you source is Re: AT&T but you are definitely wrong!
AT&T has the worst customer service! This is especially true in the AT&T wireless stores. The only thing the employees know there is to push the phone they have been told to push, and they lack definite product knowledge!
AT&T customer service is understaffed, undertrained, under endowed with decision or consumer remedy powers to resolve problems. The continued use of the babbling computer with so many prompts before you get anything done is ridiculous — it would even frustrate God!
As another example of AT&T’s money hungry orientation and customer be damned philosophy, a customer can go into an AT&T wireless store, inquire about a phone and pricing, then go online to AT&T.com and view completely different pricing. Who thought up this stupid concept? Pricing in their stores should exactly reflect pricing given on the Internet, with the only exception being maybe an additional discount because a customer traveled to the store.
Before AT&T purchased Cingular, Cingular’s customer service was top-notch and reliable! Since the merger everything has gone downhill, except the prices.
AT&T’s business philosophy is quite simple. Were they have competition, then they will compete. Or they do not have competition, its screw the customer for as much as they can get! Comparative analysis of two similar service areas or LATA’s, one not having competition the other does, shows a vast difference in both pricing for ALL services as well as degraded service quality in the area without competition.
As far as one phone having everything most users would want, in this day and time, with our technology as it is, there is no reason why such a phone cannot exist! Commenting on the United States only, AT&T’s service in cellular technology is far behind the rest of the world but well ahead in over priced cell phones!
Glad you like your Tilt. I have found mine to be a worthless piece of crap. It repeatedly erases ALL contact information and my calendar. I know two other Tilt owners and they have the same problem. I have a storage card and keep a close watch on available memory. The sprite backup is hit or miss at actually restoring stored data. The tech desk people “understand my frustration” but offer NO answers beyond those steps I already performed based on internet direction. Good luck. For me, it is an expensive paperweight. JUNK!!!