HTC Raphael is now officially Touch Pro

Not that it was completely unexpected. When T-Mobile in Germany spilled the beans about the Raphael-based MDA Vario IV, you knew HTC had to make its move soon. And so we have it, the HTC Touch Pro.

Like the Touch Diamond, this PDA-phone comes with the TouchFLO 3D interface. Specifications remain largely similar to the Diamond, though there are some important differences. These are a QWERTY keyboard and instead of 192MB of RAM, you get 288MB of it. That seems like an odd number, but that's what it says on HTC's site. Anyway, that should give it a phenomenal boost when running applications. And given how demanding TouchFLO 3D is on processing power, it's a welcomed increase. Note also that the Touch Pro doesn't have the 4GB internal storage like the Diamond but will come with a microSD card slot.

According to HTC Europe's press release, this device will be available in Asia "in late summer", which translates to about September. No pricing has been announced at the moment.

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TyTN II WM6.1 update available now

That didn't take long, did it? Last week, we mentioned that customers in Europe have gotten the Windows Mobile 6.1 (WM6.1) upgrade for their TyTN II PDA-phones. If you pop over to HTC Asia now, you'll find the update available there, too.

Don't expect the world from this upgrade as WM6.1 Professional isn't that much different from WM6. You do get threaded SMS, but the interface is pretty much the same. Do remember that you have to backup all your data before performing this upgrade, or risk losing it all. Login to HTC's e-Club site for full instructions and make sure you check with the company if you have any doubts.

HTC Touch Diamond with keyboard

The Touch Diamond hasn't even gone on sale in most countries and already, another new version has been announced. T-Mobile Germany launched three new MDA phones (its name for the HTC devices) and one of them is the MDA Vario IV, which is the rumored HTC Raphael. The other two are variants of the Diamond and Advantage.

This PDA-phone is largely similar to the HTC Touch Diamond, but comes with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard like the TyTN II. According to Netherlands-based site Mobile Phone Helpdesk, the Vario IV has all the features of the Diamond but comes with 256MB of RAM instead of 192MB. There's no indication if it will sport TouchFLO 3D like the Diamond. But looking at the flat front surface, it certainly looks ready for HTC's custom interface.

The T-Mobile MDA Vario IV will go on sale in Germany at the end of September. We have contacted HTC regarding its availability in Asia and are awaiting an answer.

Via ZDNet | Image credit: Mobile Phone Helpdesk Europe

WM6.1 upgrade for TyTN II available for Europe

We've gotten used to Europe getting the good stuff from HTC first, so this comes as no surprise. TyTN II owners there are now able to upgrade their devices to Windows Mobile (WM) 6.1 from WM6 through the company's Web site. This is intended for those with the "vanilla" version of the TyTN II, which means those that do not have customized software from the operators.

We contacted HTC but the company was not able to pin down an exact date for an Asian release at the moment and still maintains it will be in Q2. Which means, at worst, users will be able to download it at the end of June. We'll keep you informed as more concrete information becomes available.

Via WMExperts

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