The T-Mobile Wing is a Windows Mobile 6 phone, alright -- and the specs aren't anything to write home about, especially not for $400. 200MHz CPU, EDGE data, QVGA display. And yet we find ourselves mysteriously attracted to the T-Mobile Wing. It's nigh-sticky soft-touch finish, it's thin profile (for a WM QWERTY slider, anyway), it's divinely clicky d-pad and keys, it's rubbery keyboard that we just didn't think HTC could make any better. Check out the pictures, decide for yourself; but if you're a T-Mobile customer, if you're willing to plunk down this thing is kind of a no-brainer.

Well, it's finally done: T-Mobile Wing née HTC's Atlas / Herald has lifted off. Obviously there are absolutely no surprises here for anyone who's been following this launch, but the thinner- hotter successor to the MDA comes out swinging with Windows Mobile 6 (Professional), quad-band EDGE data, Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, myFaves, a 2.8-inch QVGA display, microSD slot, soft-touch finish, and new and improved QWERTY keyboard. It'll be available tomorrow for $300 (with service agreement); stick around for some high res photography sure to tide you over until then. Early review roundup posted after the break.

Call it a T-Mobile device... just don't call it "Wing." Word has it that execs at the nation's number two GSM carrier were less than pleased with the naming for its latest Pocket PC phone (but "Dash" somehow made the cut?), though it's unknown what the new name will be. But wait, we haven't gotten to the good part yet: the same rumor claims that the release date has been pushed up (not a typo) to May 27 for a mere $249 on two-year contract, perhaps a nod to perceived pressure from Sprint and Verizon's latest round of HTC superdevices. That's quite a launch bump from the original estimate of August; we'll believe it when we see it, but we're doing our best to stay optimistic.

[Thanks, Seth]

Sweaty palms, darting eyes, hyperventilation -- the anxiety attack induced by the knowledge that T-Mobile is without a clear-cut QWERTY solution from HTC can be downright frightening, we know. After seemingly euthanizing the MDA, customers of T-Mobile's US outpost have been sans a replacement in the wings, but it seems that this sucker might be the lucky winner. A variant of the HTC Atlas (new to us!), the T-Mobile "Wing" appears to take some cues from HTC's newer QWERTY-based Pocket PCs by adding Function and Caps lights, a spring-loaded slide, and a more traditional numeric keypad layout. The whole shebang is said to be covered in a rubberized blue material, which we suspect should be comfortable and easy to grip as long as it's not too sticky, thick, or soft. If this holds up, look for it to hit around August -- Windows Mobile 6 Professional and all.

[Via Boy Genius Report and Gadgets on the Go]