HTC's slowly coming around on Windows Mobile 6 upgrades for its full suite of recent self-branded handsets, thank goodness. Latest to get blessed is the P4350, HTC's very own rendition of its thin, EDGE-only QWERTY slider. Of course, if you've had a T-Mobile Wing, you've been feeling this love for quite some time now -- but if the HTC logo rests atop your unit, go grab yourself an update, will ya?

[Via the::unwired]

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.

We're not sure if it's the newfound presence of the Wing on T-Mobile's support site or the ever-growing throng of individuals reporting that customer service agents and in-store reps are touting May 22 as the launch date, but something tells us that tomorrow's starting to look pretty good for getting some Windows Mobile 6 Professional love. Seeing how T-Mobile is without a Pocket PC phone option right now, the Wing's arrival isn't just welcome -- it's necessary -- and as 2.5G Pocket PCs go, the Wing's a doozy. The slim case and soft-touch finish alone are enough to make Wizard owners shed a tear, but the real prize is likely Windows Mobile 6 Professional and a revised, spring-loaded keyboard with a more traditional numeric layout. Get your pocketbooks ready, ladies and gentlemen.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

MyMobile911 has somehow managed to acquire a "production package" of T-Mobile's upcoming Windows Mobile 6-equipped Wing, and perhaps the most interesting news here is that it is, in fact, called the "Wing." Previous reports had suggested that execs weren't happy with the name, but hey, they could call it "Poo" for all we care -- the fact that retail packaging is in the wild suggests that a release could very well be imminent. The box's contents turn out to be pretty standard fare: a charger, stereo headset, cables, software, and a handful of manuals, though one gem is the audio/charging dongle that appears to let you juice the battery and rock out at the same time. With the MDA axed from the lineup, T-Mobile's Pocket PC-less shelves are looking a wee bit bare; Wing, you can't possible get here soon enough.

[Thanks, Wally S.]

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]

While O2 announced two new Windows Mobile handsets yesterday -- the Xda terra and nova -- sadly, we were only able to get our mitts on one of them this morning at CeBIT. It seems the Nova part of the "Terra Nova" duo was missing in action, as the device is apparently still being tweaked to perfection by the gents at O2. Unlike its HTC Herald-based twins known as the Vodafone VPA Compact IV, Dopod C800, and the original HTC P4350, the Terra flies out the door rockin' Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Thinner than the TyTn and sporting that full QWERTZ keyboard we all love, you can expect it to hit 02 retail in May.

Though O2 spends plenty of time getting cozy with Quanta for its Windows Mobile needs, that doesn't mean they've thrown HTC to the curb. The latest two HTCs to get the O2 treatment -- in Germany, anyway -- will be the Herald and Elf, released as the Xda "terra" and "nova" respectively. As you might recall, the Herald is the facelifted Wizard, replacing O2's own Xda mini S and offering all the same slide-out QWERTY action in a 17 millimeter shell; 3G data is sadly missing, though O2 is going to one-up the competition here by rolling out Windows Mobile 6 Professional on this bad boy out of the gate -- expect it in May for €150 (about $200). Meanwhile, the Xda nova (also a 2.5G device) brings Windows Mobile to the masses with a relatively low price point -- €100, about $130 -- while still managing to pack 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and version six of Microsoft's ubiquitous platform. Look for it a month after its Xda terra stablemate in June.

Read - O2 Xda terra
Read - O2 Xda nova

There's not a whole lot left to learn about the HTC Herald, otherwise known as the P4350, but those keeping track of the QWERTY-concealing handset's every move will no doubt be pleased to hear that it's finally made its way through the FCC's hands, making it one step closer to landing in yours. For those less-than-obsessed with the device, it boasts a 2.8-inch touchscreen, 200MHz TI processor, 2-megapixel camera, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, a microSD slot for additional storage, and quad-band and EDGE capabilities to keep you connected -- all in a 17-millimeter thick package weighing in at just under six ounces. Those looking for a little light reading can click through on the link below to check out the full FCC report on the device.

Thanks largely to the lack of a 3G radio, we'd venture to guess that anticipation for HTC's Herald isn't building nearly as strongly as it did for the Hermes, but the 17 millimeter thick enclosure should be more than enough to woo a buyer or two away from their Wizard. As we'd previously mentioned, the device will be sold directly by HTC as the P4350 (not as the ambiguous "BRAND" pictured here) and Boy Genius has managed to get one of 'em in his paws. For the record, 17 millimeters is still more than two Samsung X820s; of course, we're probably not going to see Windows Mobile booting on that thing any time soon.

C'mon, HTC certainly wasn't fooling anyone after the Herald was unmasked and taken from under wraps, but now the QWERTY-packin' device is finally getting a proper nametag. The HTC P4350, while far from being a new release, will "officially" sport a slimmer enclosure than the Tytn and foolishly lack onboard HSDPA. Apparently hoping to compensate, the quad-band unit will boast EDGE connectivity, Bluetooth, and WiFi options along with the usual compliment of smartphone functions. Aside from handling your Microsoft Office / Outlook needs, it will sport a 2.8-inch touchscreen, five-way navigational stick, 200MHz TI processor, 2-megapixel camera, 64MB of internal RAM, 128MB of ROM, and a microSD slot to store your extra files, tunes, or CIA material. Weighing in at 5.92 ounces, the 17-millimeter thick mobile should retail for "around $735," and if all goes as planned, will hit European shores next month.

[Via The Unwired, thanks Jonathan]

Dopod's cozy relationship with HTC (which we're thinking just might have to do with HTC's ownership of the firm) continues with the announcement of three new models: the M700, D810, and C800, based on the HTC Artemis, Trinity, and Herald, respectively. All three designs are fairly bleeding-edge, with the Herald yet to see an official release. Meanwhile, the M700 variant of the Artemis ups the reference design's ante by packing in a full 256MB of internal storage, a move that HTC says makes this a multimedia version of the product, and so far it's a Dopod exclusive -- is HTC giving preferential treatment to its in-house brand? Say it ain't so! Look for all three to drop in Dopod-friendly regions of the world (read: Asia) over the coming months.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - the::unwired
Read - MSMobileNews

We can't make out much of of PDAclub.pl's review of the new HTC Herald even with the wonders of machine translation, but thankfully they've provided a plethora of pics, and even a video clip, so you can at least a good look at the device. From what we can discern though, they seem to have come away with mostly favorable impressions of it, digging the handset's overall design and its built-in 2 megapixel camera (among other things) but finding the RAM and battery life somewhat lacking. As the video clip shows, it also provides a satisfying 'click' when slid open. We'll have to leave it to the Polish speakers among us to interpret the more nuanced aspects of the review.

[Via pocketnow.com]

Try as they might, no HTC phone stays hidden for long, and it looks like the QWERTY-rific HTC Herald is the latest of their smartphones to fall prey to a rather convenient leak. As previously rumored, the Herald brings all that HTC Hermes spec love, but in a 17mm-thick form factor. According to hands-on action going on over at SoloPalmari, they're measuring 18mm of thickness, but minor quibbles aside, the phone does seem to be in possession of a 2 megapixel camera, 2.8-inch QVGA screen, miniSD slot, 64MB of RAM, 128MB of ROM and of course that lovable QWERTY keyboard in a notably thin form factor. Unfortunately, nothing much could be verified as far as radios go, such as WiFi and 3G data, but we'll keep our fingers crossed for the Hermes' full complement of 802.11b/g, UMTS and HSDPA. Keep reading for a couple more pics.

Let's face it, the Apache (aka PPC-6700 / XV6700) and Wizard (aka MDA / 8125) are getting a little long in the tooth. We all know HTC's working on a followup for these devices, but it was seriously on the DL that we discovered the UTStarcom 6800, pictured above (and after the break). Ok, so it wasn't totally hidden or whatever, they actually had this thing right on a big banner on the booth, but UTStarcom refused to comment on the device, its launch, or any other details. They were just satisfied putting it up for thousands of industry people to see, and nothing else. For reference, it seems to look like an Artemis up in the face, but slides open like you know what, but now also features caps and function lock LEDs. Oh, we also learned -- not from UTStarcom, mind you -- that HTC's got a Wizard followup in the wings called the Herald (a name we've heard before), which gave us the warm n' fuzzies. Oh, and click on for another shot of the 6800.

HTC, making sure that the enjoyment of our fresh Star Trek is kept to an absolute minimum, looks to be preparing a spectrum of lustworthy new devices. This information is entirely unconfirmed, and we don't know much about what we're about to tell you -- some of these code names are as new to us as they are to you -- but we can tell you it comes from a reliable source.

First up, the Muse has been mercifully renamed the "Melody," and the Triolgy has become "Monet." The Hermes, which is just starting to drop across Europe, has been upped to 400MHz for full-scale production; you might recall we recently reported that O2 was bringing a 400MHz Hermes to the table, and it now appears this will be standard fare for launches going forward. Trinity (pictured) specs are coming into focus, and we should expect this beast to throw down HSDPA, WiFi, and integrated GPS. There have been some rumblings of an "Artemis" recently, and that device still appears to be on the map, bringing integrated GPS and a trackball (wha?) but topping out with EDGE data. The "Herald" sounds positively gorgeous, similar in concept and functionality to the Hermes but measuring just 17mm thick. The Foreseer and Monet will be joined by the "Oxygen" in HTC's mobile TV lineup, though we don't know which standard it'll be packing. Looking to steal some of the Q's thunder, the "Excalibur" will be getting its QWERTY on and running Smartphone. Finally, look for "Vera" as a possible successor to the Star Trek, packing HSDPA and a front-facing camera for video calling.

That's a lot of unconfirmed data to digest, we know, and we're still trying to make sense of it all ourselves. No word on release windows for most of these -- if we could divine you a Vera tomorrow, we would -- but as always, we'll be burning the midnight oil in our quest for deets.