Smartphone maker HTC announced the first major surprise of the CTIA wireless trade show this year by unveiling the Shift, its first Windows Vista PC. The company also displayed a US version of the Advantage, a device that straddles the line between a large PDA and an ultralight laptop.

These products are the two most impressive of HTC's planned 10 to 12 product launches this year, marketing vice president Todd Achilles said during a meeting with PC Magazine last week. Among the other product launches will be new smartphones for CDMA carriers with Verizon, Sprint, Alltel and Telus using a new Qualcomm chipset that "lets us get down to a price point never reached before," Achilles said.

Its in HTC's site too

To be very honest - I haven't read the article fully. I will read it and get back

Read From PCMag

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mohammed Al-Ashram,

Now thats what I call News

Excellent find SKP

I changed the title form HTC's First Laptop to HTC's First UMPC and I think PCMag should do the same thing too because it is a UMPC

I really had a feeling that this was coming, you see what I did whith the site recently, I guess others will do the same, we can't miss on the latest happenings in Mobility world

I think HTC will have a flurry of new devices, prehaps doing simnilarly to Nokia but doing it much better, let see happens next and let me just keep on drooling

HTC SHIFT soon to be released in the US market

Here at UMPC Dubai we are bringing you nothing but fresh news and exciting new details about the upcoming new mobility solutions. Following the news published by our fabulous Editor SKP here, the new HTC’s bad boy the HTC SHIFT is soon to be released in the US market, this is the official press release published by HTC…

Press Release - Mar. 26, 2007HTC defines mobile computing with introduction of
Shift and Advantage


Mobile computers set to deliver ultimate experience by combining innovative designs with powerful functionality and connectivity

ORLANDO, FL – March 26, 2007 – Today, at the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association’s (CTIA) WIRELESS 2007®, High Tech Computer Corp. (TAIEX: 2498; “HTC”), the world’s leading provider of Microsoft® Windows Mobile®-based smart devices, announced the expansion of its product portfolio to include two new groundbreaking computing devices that focus on providing users with the definitive mobile computer experience.

The HTC Shift brings the full power of Windows Vista and advanced wireless connectivity into an innovative and compact design that is sure to create a new paradigm for mobile computing. The HTC Advantage delivers extreme portability that leverages the mobile office strengths of Windows Mobile 6 and advanced wireless connectivity in one of the smallest mobile computer designs available.

“The introduction of the HTC Shift and Advantage continue HTC’s long history of innovative, precedent-setting devices,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC. “These new devices bridge the gap between being mobile and being in the office, giving customers new choices for how they work, communicate and live.

With nearly a decade of experience designing and building pioneering smartphones, HTC is extending its mobile convergence leadership into a new mobile computing category created by the introduction of the HTC Shift and HTC Advantage. The company is now doing for mobile computing what it did for mobile phones, adding powerful functionality and advanced connectivity in compact and innovative designs.

HTC ShiftUnveiled at CTIA, the HTC Shift combines the power of Windows Vista with an innovative QWERTY-based keyboard design and 3G-connectivity. The days of compromising productivity for portability are gone. The HTC Shift provides all the power, functionality and connectivity the busy professional needs in a sleek design that is half the size and a fraction of the weight of what they lug around today. Similar in size to a couple of DVD cases, the HTC Shift comes with Windows Vista Business, includes a brilliant 7-inch widescreen touch display and a 30-gigabyte hard drive. Packed with advanced connectivity, the HTC Shift features high-speed global connectivity with Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA, Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. A multimedia maven, the HTC Shift leverages Windows Media Player 11 to provide easy access to music, videos and photos.

“The HTC Shift is combining the power of Windows Vista with advanced connectivity in a sleek mobile computer design,“ said Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Mobile Platforms Division. “HTC and Microsoft have been innovating on smartphones for years, so it is exciting to see them bring that experience and innovation to mobile computers.”

HTC AdvantageDeveloped from the ground up to be extremely portable, the HTC Advantage liberates the traveling executive from their bulky notebook PC. The HTC Advantage packs powerful productivity features into a unique and innovative design that is small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or purse. Based on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6, the HTC Advantage includes Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile for quick access to email, calendar and contacts and Microsoft Office Mobile enabling the creation and editing of Microsoft Office documents. The HTC Advantage includes a thin, magnetically connected QWERTY keyboard and advanced connectivity with Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA, Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. In addition, the HTC Advantage enables powerful navigation capabilities with built-in GPS navigation. Other features include:

5-inch VGA touch display
HDD 8GB, ROM 256MB, RAM 128MB
miniSD™ card slot
HTC VueFLO™ for easy navigation
3.5mm Stereo audio jack



Pricing and AvailabilityThe HTC Advantage will be available through Amazon.com and other retailers this summer. The HTC Shift will be available in the US and Europe in Q3 2007. Additional details, including specifications, pricing and availability will be announced when available.

About HTCFounded in 1997, High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) designs, manufactures and markets innovative, feature rich Smartphone and PDA Phone devices.

Since its establishment, HTC has developed strong R&D capabilities, pioneered many new designs and product innovations, and launched state-of-the-art PDA Phones and Smartphones for mobile operators and distributors in Europe, the US, and Asia. These machines are available as HTC devices and as products individually customized for operator and device partners.

HTC is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile device market. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com

# # #

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.



Media Contact:
HTC America
Jason Gordon
Email: jason_gordon@america.htc.com
Tel : (425) 679-5337



Waggener Edstrom
Susan Schmitz
Email: susans@waggeneredstrom.com
Tel : (425) ) 638-7000

Link to this release.

We continue discussing this story on this same thread

Another image for your viewing pleasure

Mohd,

quote:

I really had a feeling that this was coming, you see what I did whith the site recently, I guess others will do the same, we can't miss on the latest happenings in Mobility world Big Grin

I think HTC will have a flurry of new devices, prehaps doing simnilarly to Nokia but doing it much better, let see happens next and let me just keep on drooling Drool

Well said...

We were delighted by the release of 4 devices from i-mate (ultimate series).... I was wondering 'is HTC sleepoing'??

It was shot on the forehead by the Advantage & Kaiser & now the Panda...

We were slightly confused why in the world HTC is releasing WM5 only device (advantage). Now we found that HTC was not sleeping these days; but they were literally working on midnight-oil to get the device with WM6 (Advantage 7501) and the VISTA UMPC

And it is a proper SHIFT…. Now why you need the HTC Advantage at all when you can have this gorgeous device

Say goodbye to OQO model 02 and HELLO HTC SHIFT

buddy, I am afraid it will create another discussion here . I want to have phone in PDA device - Advantage is the one for me... I guess

quote:

Originally posted by Saravana Kumar Paulraj:
buddy, I am afraid it will create another discussion here . I want to have phone in PDA device - Advantage is the one for me... I guess

It is your decision of course, I am interested to learn form you how you will be comfortable with this type of phone, I am personally more interested in the HTC Kaiser since it has the right size to be a comfortable phone and a powerful PDA as well and for a better utilization of power you can also have a umpc instead of HTC Advantage which is a very questionable concept! How you will answer calls? I presume you will need a headset since it will be awkward holding this phone to your head, then the headset is going to be necessary all the time, with a wire headset there will be always an inconvenient of dangling wire, and with a wireless headset you still carry two devices after all, then why not carry a slightly bigger device then a headset such as a comfortable phone and a umpc?! The HTC Kaiser is the most convenient device as a phone IMHO to be a perfect combination with a UMPC which carries all the power for it’s size

Buddy

quote:

then why not carry a slightly bigger device then a headset such as a comfortable phone and a umpc?! The HTC Kaiser is the most convenient device as a phone IMHO to be a perfect combination with a UMPC which carries all the power for it’s size

I agree once your over anything that wont fit in your shirt top pocket it's a lugable

HTC Kaiser is about as big as you can go

Once in to lugables you may aswell have a UMPC combo ie UMPC plus a mini pda/smartphone.

I think SKP missed that the HTC Shift has a sim slot. So until my modular device is avalable it looks like 2 sims will rule for a while for convienence.

I think devicies like HTC advantage is market filler on price only IMO

As to carrying 2 devices it's a fact of life with a lugable.

Actually in the UAE as you always have sunglass's with you the MotoRazrwire's kills two birds with one stone with it's intergrated BT headset

rgds
Steve

buddy, Steve - thanks for the inputs.

SHIFT - it has the SIM for 3g , HSPDA... agreed. But, no news on the phone / sms... Also, I cant use the full functionality of Windows in the office environment - for the fact of security over the network. So, its ruled out.

Phone with BT headset - I am used to it. And the problem will be

BT headset drains out of battery

Receiving a late night calls - office calls comes during sleep

passing the phone to nearby person for calls

I am following with the users in MoDaCo - who are using the device now. Lets see