AT&T; Tilt
Manufacturer: HTC America Inc. Part number: 99HCY091-00
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The AT&T; Tilt promises to be the carrier's most powerful smartphone for business users with its full range of wireless options, Windows Mobile 6, and innovative tilt screen.
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
 |
In stock
$100.00 mail-in rebate |
Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price |
as of 09/13/2008 |
  | ||||
CNET editors' review
AT&T; Tilt
price range: $199.99
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 10/03/2007
- Released on: 10/05/2007
The good: The AT&T; Tilt features a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard and a tilting screen. The Windows Mobile 6 smartphone also offers the full gamut of wireless options, including 3G and GPS, push e-mail, a 3-megapixel camera, and support for AT&TMusic; and Video.
The bad: Speakerphone quality wasn't the greatest, and talk-time battery life was on the shorter side. The Tilt was sluggish at times, and picture quality was subpar. We also had problems acquiring a GPS fix.
The bottom line: The AT&T; Tilt promises to be the carrier's most powerful smartphone for business users with its full range of wireless options, Windows Mobile 6, and innovative tilt screen.
Whether you know it as the AT&T 8925, the HTC Kaiser, or the HTC TyTN II, this highly anticipated Windows Mobile 6 smartphone officially got its crowning today as the AT&T Tilt. And we'd say the name is quite fitting given that it has a slide-out screen that tilts 40 degrees for a better viewing angle. It's a nice touch that we enjoyed, but there's more to this smartphone than an innovative design. It's packed with all the features a mobile professional could want in a smartphone: the full range of wireless options, including UMTS/HSDPA support and GPS, Windows Mobile 6 (AT&T's first WM6 device, in fact), and strong messaging capabilities. It can also entertain with support for AT&T Music and AT&T Video and a 3-megapixel camera.
We had the opportunity to check out a preproduction unit of the Tilt, and while we'll reserve final judgment until we have the finished product in hand, we think it will be a hit. Let us be clear that this is a device best-suited for power business users. It doesn't have the mass appeal of an Apple iPhone, and it certainly has its downfalls, too: It's hefty and talk-time battery life is somewhat short. However, the added features make it a worthy upgrade from the AT&T 8525. The AT&T Tilt will be available starting October 5 for $299.99 with a two-year contract, which isn't too bad considering all the features you get with this device.
Design
Let's just cut to the chase and talk about what makes the AT&T Tilt so special, shall we? From the outside, the Tilt doesn't look that much different from its predecessor, the AT&T 8525. It has a PDA-like design and features a slide-out screen that reveals a full QWERTY keyboard underneath. However, there's one major difference between the two: The Tilt's screen tilts (hence the name; get it?) up to 40 degrees, mimicking a mini laptop. Though we never had any problems with the old design, we do like this extra functionality. It gives you a better view of the display, and it's nice if you just want to lay it on a flat surface and read through your e-mails, work documents, or view videos. Of course, if you so choose, you could compose messages in this position, but you'd probably have to peck away with your index fingers, which seems a bit uncomfortable and dorky. We found it easier just to hold the smartphone in both hands and let our thumbs happily tap away.
The keyboard itself is roomy with large rectangular buttons that are tactile and well-backlit, so we were easily able to type out e-mails, text messages, and the like. The number buttons are also easy see, as they're highlighted in silver--a stark contrast to the rest of the black keys. The only real problem we ran into was trying to press the two soft keys above the keyboard while the screen was tilted up. Having the screen in the upright position reduces what little space there is between the soft keys and the bottom edge of the front cover, so we kept banging our thumbs up against it. It's certainly not a deal breaker, though, and we were happy with the overall experience.
The AT&T Tilt's touch screen measures 2.8 inches diagonally and shows off 65,536 colors at a 320x240 pixel resolution. Text and images looked sharp and bright, and the display was readable in various lighting conditions, including bright sunlight thanks to the tilting screen. You can change the theme of the Today screen as well as the background image, displayed menu items, and backlight timeout. The screen orientation will also automatically switch from portrait to landscape mode once you slide open the cover, but we noticed there was a slight delay during the transition (See Performance for more).
Below the display, you'll find a navigation array that consists of the Talk and End buttons, two soft keys, an OK button, shortcuts to Internet Explorer Mobile, the Start menu, and your Inbox, and a five-way navigation toggle with a central select key. All of these controls are easy to use, and we're particularly pleased with the spacious directional keypad. On the left spine, there is a push-to-talk launcher, an OK button, and scroll wheel that you can press to select a menu item. Once on a call, it can also be used to adjust the phone volume. The right side houses the power button, camera activation key, and stylus, while the microSD expansion slot and mini USB port are found on the bottom of the unit. The camera lens (no self-portrait mirror or flash) is located on the back along with speaker and external GPS jack, and the SIM card holder is actually on the backside of the front cover when slid out rather than behind the battery. Speaking of which, a minor point, but we found it extremely difficult to take off the battery cover. There doesn't seem to be a release switch, so we had to pry it off with a sharp-edged object. Another thing on our wish list is a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.
The AT&T Tilt measures 4.4 inches long by 2.3 inches wide by 0.7 inch deep and weighs 6.1 ounces. We're not even going to lie; the handset is definitely bulky and heavy, so it won't easily slip into a pants pocket. However, we think HTC did a nice job designing the Tilt. The smartphone has nice rounded corners and boasts a sleek-black-lacquer-and-polished-steel finish on front, while the back features a soft-touch finish for better gripping. It's more comfortable to hold than the AT&T 8525 and Sprint Mogul, and feels like it has a more solid construction.
The AT&T Tilt comes packaged with an AC adapter, a USB cable, an extra stylus, a Getting Started CD, and reference material. Frankly, we're a little disappointed with the included accessories, as we would have liked to seen the inclusion of at least a belt holster or a wired headset. For more add-ons, please check out our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
With the barrage of smartphones that hit AT&T's lineup this year, it caught us by surprise that this is actually the carrier's first Windows Mobile 6 smartphone. It runs the Professional Edition, and the updated operating system brings a number of small but notable improvements over Windows Mobile 5. For example, there's a new Calendar ribbon that gives you a better view of your schedule at a glance with colored blocks for appointments and details of the event, such as meeting location, right along the bottom of your screen so you don't have to open each one. There's also a new e-mail search function that works like the Smart Dial feature on Windows Mobile 5 devices, where you start typing in a word while in your Inbox, and it will automatically pull up messages with that term in the subject or contact field. We won't run through every new feature here, but you can read all about them in our review of Windows Mobile 6.
As a mobile professional's tool, the Tilt comes with the full Microsoft Mobile Office Suite for creating, viewing, and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. In addition, there's an Adobe Reader client for opening PDFs. Other PIM tools include a calculator, a clock, a ZIP manager, and a voice recorder. To manage your memory and optimize the device's performance, you can view the amount of available memory under the Settings menu and stop running programs with the Task Manager. The Tilt comes with 256MB of ROM and 128MB SDRAM. There's about 87MB of user-accessible storage and 68MB of program memory, and you can always expand the capacity by using the microSD expansion slot, which accepts up to 4GB cards.
Of course, with the full QWERTY keyboard, e-mail and messaging is also a key feature. The AT&T Tilt ships with Microsoft's Direct Push technology out of the box so you get real-time e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization with your Outlook calendar, tasks, and contacts via Exchange Server. In addition, the Tilt works with other e-mail solutions, including BlackBerry Connect and AT&T Xpress Mail. There is, of course, continued support for POP3 and IMAP accounts, but now you also can view e-mails in their original HTML format, regardless of account type. The Tilt also comes preloaded with AOL, Windows Live, and Yahoo instant-messaging clients and supports text and multimedia messaging.
For voice communication, the Tilt offers world roaming capabilities, a speakerphone, and voice commands and dialing. The Tilt's contact list is limited only by the available memory (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts) and is quite robust. You can store up to 12 numbers for a single entry as well as home and work addresses, an e-mail address, an IM screen name, birthday, spouse's name, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can pair a contact with a photo, a caller group, or one of 26 polyphonic ringtones. The Tilt also supports AT&T's push-to-talk service, allowing you to instantly see the availability of your contacts before calling them and make individual or group PTT calls. PTT plans start at $9.99 per month.
Much to our delight, and we imagine yours as well, the AT&T Tilt offers the full gamut of wireless options: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0, UMTS/HSDPA, and GPS. The smartphone supports a number of Bluetooth profiles, including those for wireless headsets, hands-free kits, dial-up networking, and A2DP for stereo Bluetooth headsets. For surfing the Web, you can use the built-in Wi-Fi to hop onto a hot spot, or, alternatively, you can take advantage of the 3G support to get data speeds of around 400Kbps to 700Kbps (with the potential to hit up to 2Mbps) using AT&T's network. In addition, you'll be able to access UMTS/HSDPA networks while abroad. For your convenience, there's a Wireless Manager where you can turn on and off all the various radios.
With the built-in GPS radio, you can use a location-based service, such as AT&T's TeleNav GPS Navigator, and you can get color maps and text- and voice-guided driving directions, and points of interest right on the device. In addition, the TeleNav application can help you find the cheapest gas based on your location, share addresses with your contacts, and more. Just be aware that if you choose TeleNav GPS Navigator, this is an add-on service from AT&T that will cost $9.99 per month for unlimited trips or $5.99 for up to 10 trips; check out our full review of TeleNav for more information.
To get the most out of 3G, the Tilt supports the AT&T Video and AT&T Music services. Using AT&T Video, we watched clips of The Daily Show, MTV Mobile, ESPN sports highlights, and a few other videos. Downloads were speedy with barely any delay for video buffering. AT&T Music is a full-featured service that not only allows you to purchase songs from independent music services, such as Napster to Go and Yahoo Music, but also includes streaming XM satellite radio, music videos, MusicID for identifying song titles and artists, and a music news site called TheBuzz. Unfortunately, not all features of the service were enabled on our review unit, but we were able to listen to XM satellite radio and enjoyed smooth streaming audio. Of course, you can import your personal library of MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, MPEG-4, and WMV files via microSD card, thanks to Windows Media Player 10 Mobile.
Last but not least, the AT&T Tilt is equipped with a 3-megapixel camera with up to 8x zoom and video recording capabilities. The editing options are very similar to those found on its predecessor. In camera mode, you can choose from six resolution settings and four quality modes. Unfortunately, there's no flash, but you can adjust the white balance, add effects, and set a self-timer. The options are a bit more limited in video mode, but you can record clips with sound in MPEG-4 or H.263 format and choose from one of four resolutions.
Picture quality was OK, though not as good as we expected from a 3-megapixel lens. First, it was really difficult to get a clear shot since you have to have a super steady hand when pressing the capture button. It took us multiple tries to get a decent image. Even then, we thought the coloring was a bit dull and hazy, but we were still able to make out the objects in the picture since definition was sharp. As with most camera phones, the Tilt is fine if you need to grab a quick shot for a multimedia messages or an e-mail, but nothing worth printing out.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE; UMTS/HSDPA) AT&T Tilt in San Francisco using AT&T service, and call quality was excellent. We enjoyed crisp audio with very little to no background noise or interference, and we got more than one "wow" from our friends, as they, too, were impressed with the sound quality. We were also able to interact with our bank's automated voice response system with no problem. Unfortunately, things took a dive when we activated the speakerphone. We had a hard time hearing our callers even with the volume cranked to high, as their voices sounded hollow. Meanwhile, they said we sounded far away and could tell we were using the speakerphone. On a good note, we were able to successfully pair the Tilt with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Nokia BH-604 stereo Bluetooth headphones.
As we reported at the beginning, we were sent a preproduction unit of the AT&T Tilt, which we hope explains some of the sluggishness we experienced during our test period. The delays weren't so bad that it prevented us from working, but the lag was particularly noticeable when changing screen orientation and working in various applications. Hopefully, these minor issues will be resolved with the final software update, and we will certainly re-evaluate the performance then.
All that said, we enjoyed working and playing on the Tilt. We had no problems setting up the smartphone to retrieve our e-mail and we were able to successfully transfer and work on various work documents, including PDFs, and Word and Excel files. The Web browsing experience was swift whether we were using Wi-Fi or AT&T's 3G network. However, we ran into some problems with the built-in GPS radio. It took at least 10 tries for the Tilt to get a fix on our position, and it repeatedly told us that the GPS signal was too weak and needed a better view of the sky. We can understand that, but we were already in an open area, so it was frustrating to have to sit there and wait.
Multimedia performance was mixed. We were truly impressed with how great videos looked on the Tilt. Audio and video were always synchronized, and while there was some pixelation, it wasn't as bad as we've seen on other devices. Unfortunately, the phone's weak speaker system takes away from the music experience, as songs sounded tinny and lacked richness. Again, we wish there was a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack to enhance this part of the smartphone.
The AT&T Tilt's 1,350mAh lithium ion battery is rated for up to 4.4 hours of talk time for UMTS and 7 hours for GSM and up to 14 days of standby time for UMTS and 15 days for GSM. In our battery drain tests, we were only able to get 3.5 hours of talk time on UMTS. We are conducting several more tests, so we'll update this section as soon as we have final results.
User reviews
Update your review
Since you've already submitted a review for this product, this submission will be added as an update to your original review.-
-
Currently the best corporate phone on the market... Period
by bentleybrad on October 7, 2007
Pros: Wifi, GPS, 400mhz dual core, and more memory
Cons: No camera flash, weak out of box battery, and limited included software bundle
Summary: To provide a bit of background for this review... I am a software developer for IBM who frequently travels on business, and consults with various clients throughout the week. I ...
Summary: To provide a bit of background for this review... I am a software developer for IBM who frequently travels on business, and consults with various clients throughout the week. I have owned 2 BlackBerries, 2 Treos, AT&T's version of the previous HTC TyTn (the 8525), and my wife owns an iPhone.
The HTC TyTn II contains the strongest hardware featureset of any to date. The built-in GPS unit merges beautifly with Google Maps. In fact, it acquires signals in situations that my Garmin eTrex couldn't touch. The 3G network exists in many metropolitan areas, but I live on Wifi whenever possible. The 3.0 megapixel camera is decent (certainly better than its competitors), but is far from the realm of standalone digital cameras, and the lack of a flash makes capturing unblurred images any motion not possible. I am a Linux lover, but currently Windows Mobile 6.0 is the best OS for a handheld device out there (Blackberry, Palm, iPhone, etc.).
I was a bit disappointed with the software bundle provided with AT&T's version of the TyTn II (the AT&T Tilt). But being a power user of these devices, I rarely keep more than a couple of programs it comes with anyway. I will say this though... If you are not comfortable configuring your device for hours, then I would see the software offered by other carriers when they make this same device available.
The advantages over the 8525 are dramatic. AT&T seems to push the fact that the screen tilts up to 40 degrees. This is mildly useful at best, and certainly not its major difference, but it does allow the device to balance better when sitting flat on surfaces. Many people complain about the size and weight, but I find it par for the course. Show me a small SmartPhone, and I will show you how weak it is vs. its larger competitors. Also, I see that others dont find the slide out keyboard useful. This blows my mind... If you are not living on the slide out keyboard, then I would argue that you are not using this device for any productivity tasks. This is a corporate device, not for users that want an iPod that can make calls and allow texting. That is not to say that mp3 and movie playback is lacking (I would argue that in some ways it is better than the iPhone), but this device is meant for people that read copious numbers of emails each day, need to view/update office documents often, and need a extremely slimmed down version of their laptop that is quickly accessible.
Enough of my propaganda... the QualComm Dual Core processor is vastly superior to the 8525's Samsung, and the additional memory is fantastic (the one REAL flaw that I noted in the 8525).
To speak a little about interfaces... The UI (user interface) for the iPhone is second to none. It is fantastic. But personally, the UI and the "iPod" interface for music/video playback is really the only thing the iPhone has going for it. It lacks the ability to install third-party software. I can not stress enough how much software is out there for Windows/Palm devices, and much of this software is cheap and wonderful (take a look at SPB Finance).
Moral of the story... if you are technically able individual who needs to a powerful productivity tool, then you will fall asleep at night with this thing on your pillow. If you are looking for a more limited tool that focuses on multi-media, then stay in the Apple world. If you are not comfortable managing the third-party software that this version of the TyTn II needs, then I would wait to see what is bundled with other carriers.
Also... I would plan on spending at least 150-200 additional dollars to getting this device to be perfect (35 for an extended battery off of eBay, 75 for a pair of Bluetooth headphones, 25 for a case, and 75 for a few third-party applications).135 out of 138 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Don't Pay for GPS
by shulmda on October 13, 2007
Pros: 3G, GPS, and Google Maps a killer combo
Cons: No headphones
Summary: You do not need to pay the monthly fee for the GPS software (Telenav) from AT&T. There is a great program called GPS Utilities (http://www.efficasoft.com/...
Summary: You do not need to pay the monthly fee for the GPS software (Telenav) from AT&T. There is a great program called GPS Utilities (http://www.efficasoft.com/gpsutilities.html) that sets up the GPS connection ($17.95) (Com 4 and 4800) and free Google maps which integrates with the GPS to track your location, give directions, real time traffic, sattelite views, etc. (http://www.google.com/gmm/gps.html) It is awesome. Also, Windows Mobile 6 is a great improvement over WM5. The performance is so good with the new processer and 3G, I could make international phone calls via Skype (http://www.skype.com/download/skype/mobile/) I like the iPhone UI better, but its lack of Voice Dial, the Limited Keyboard, and lack of 3G made it impossible for me to switch to it from my HTC 8125. I did spend 2 hours at the Apple store trying to talk myself into it. I also recommend Bandswitch (http://commmgrpro.com/_wsn/page2.html) to automatically disconnect your data connection and maximize your battery life. I also removed the PTT software and reclaimed the button for Voice Dial (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1570125). I also recommend an alternative to the included dialer because the buttons were too small to use (http://www.paulya.com/Projects/EtDialer/Cabs/PaulyA_E-Ten_Vista.cab) Best phone I have ever had, though I loved my HTC 8125.
119 out of 120 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Excellent, but not quite perfect.
by ctmike78 on October 12, 2007
Pros: Keyboard, Connectivity, GPS, 3rd party app support
Cons: Questionable battery life, mediocre speaker.
Summary: This is my first smartphone, and first experience with AT&T. I've used "traditional" cell phones up until now, my last being the bog-standard LG VX-8100 on Verizon....
Summary: This is my first smartphone, and first experience with AT&T. I've used "traditional" cell phones up until now, my last being the bog-standard LG VX-8100 on Verizon.
I'm an IT guy by nature, and I knew I wanted an "everything including the kitchen sink" kind of device once my Verizon contract was up. And truthfully, I'd still be a Verizon customer if they had ever gotten around to releasing the XV6800 in any sort of reasonable timeframe. But, once the Tilt was available, the XV6800 was immediately obsoleted, and the poor XV isn't even out yet...
The Tilt is unquestionably the best smartphone available. Connectivity is plentiful, the screen is nice and bright, it feels pretty responsive (more on that later), the keyboard is excellent, and onboard GPS is tremendous. Downloaded Google Maps and it has been very useful right from the get-go; I'll likely be looking at full-fledged GPS navigation software in the near future. Also downloaded Opera; it's a must have for any sort of web-browsing on the device. So far, no hangs or crashes... it's just worked. Anyone familiar with Windows will feel right at home. Lastly, it feels quite sturdy in your hands - some may say heavy, but I haven't minded.
That all being said, I gave it a 9 because it is not perfect. Speaker quality is... passable at best. I was hoping to use speakerphone but that will be used more as a last resort... a stereo Bluetooth headset is on my list of purchases. I'd rate the camera above the speakerphone, but not to the point where you will replace your point-and-shoot (and, that wasn't my expectation). All the connectivity, while exactly what I wanted, affects battery life. Per bentleybrad's review, I'll likely be getting an extended battery as well. While the Tilt is responsive probably 95% of the time, there are occasional "hiccups" where a screen press may not register immediately. Lastly- and I realize how this will sound- I haven't quite gotten the hang of one-handed use of it (though, it is getting better as I use it more). As a two handed device, it's wonderful - I love the keyboard. For just picking it up in one hand and dialing a particular contact quickly... I'm still working on that.
In short, it does a GREAT many things, VERY, VERY well.
On switching to AT&T from Verizon : In the past week that I've switched, it's been seamless. Coverage (Central CT, down through to NYC) has been no better nor no worse; I simply haven't noticed any difference.
On comparing to an iPhone : I got to compare the Tilt to my brother's iPhone this past weekend, and I have similar thoughts to bentleybrad. The iPhone is thin, the screen is excellent, and it is extremely intuitive and responsive, especially for pictures/movies. However I didn't care for the on-screen keyboard one bit; I definitely prefer the physical keyboard on the Tilt. And obviously, the application support on the Tilt is infinitely better. Mix in GPS, and there you have why I chose the Tilt over the iPhone. I wouldn't say one is necessarily better than the other; they are decidedly different devices.44 out of 44 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
awesome device!
by Caesar878 on October 13, 2007
Pros: has absolutely EVERYTHING you need!
Cons: Needs a case in the box
Summary: This is simply the best device that I have owned! It has every bit of functionality that I need in a smart phone. I have used smart phones for approx ...
Summary: This is simply the best device that I have owned! It has every bit of functionality that I need in a smart phone. I have used smart phones for approx 5 years and this one hits the bulls eye.
Let me review the items that make this smart phone a ten on my list (I think it is funny that some other reviewers have rated it below a five without substantial reasoning but are rather extlling the virtues of another carrier - shame).
The Tilt is named such due to its sliding display that Tilts up. Very cool! I can put the device on the desk or any convenient surface as needed and can view the info easily without moving my head back and forth or I can use the device one handed.
The Tilt has many naviogation methods - you can touch the screen with your finger or the included touch stylus, you can use the rotary dial on the side, you can use the four way navigation pad on the front, or you can slide open the keyboard and use the keys for navigation. I find that i use each of these based on the task that I am doing.
The Tilt comes with every possible messaging method available: SMS, MMS, email (personal and corporate), IM (AOL, Yahoo, and Microsoft), and Push to Talk. There is NO other device that offers this level of communication on the market today! The item that really sold it for me was that I can talk on the phone (via my jawbone bluetooth headset)at the same time that I am looking something up on the web via the web browser or using the mapping function! You can't do that on any other smart phone from Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile. Honestly, isn't this functionality the pure essence of mobility - it is for me. I can even be on a call via my bluetooth headset and be browsing the web on my laptop using the Tilt tethered to the laptop! Try that on any other device from any other US carrier - you simply can't do it!
I really want to talk about the built-in GPS functionality. First, the reason that the CNET editors took so long to connect to the satellites was because the Telenav application was searching for the satellites. I read the user manual and found that there is a utility included on the Tilt called Quick GPS that downloads the relative satellite locations every 6 days so Telenav starts very very quickly each and every time. Pretty nice. Anyway the Telenav mapping application is fantastic. It provides 3d or 2d mapping, turn by turn navigation (visual and audible), traffic information and rerouting, find the cheapest gas based on current location, save locations, share a location with a friend or business associate, and more. Better still is that you always have this with you. I also own a GPS device that I purchased for $899 - GPS is all it does so it pretty well stays at home until needed - of course there are those unplanned instances where I needed the durn thing and it was at home - no more with the Tilt that was only $299.99 and has better GPS software. To be frank, I have also tried Google maps, Microsoft Live, and Tom Tom maps on the device. The Google and Microsoft stuff is OK but not as feature rich as the Telenav application. I find that if an application has the correct mix of features that i really need that it becomes an indispenable part of my life. I tried Tom Tom - a stand alone application that you can buy and install - but I just dont have the time to go and buy updates and reload maps based on the part of the country that I am traveling to. The Telenav GPS application is seemingly network based so the most up to date information is loaded every time you use it - this is convenient! (Yes, the GPS feature is open!)
A really great feature is that the Tilt is fast - both navigating the menu and when downloading information from the AT&T 3G network. However, I am not limited to just AT&T's network. I can also use WIFI and connect to either b or g WIFI networks. Another neat feature is that the Tilt supports bluetooth 2.0 which allows me to connect up to six bluetooth devices simultanelously. True wireless huh. I can use a bluetooth headset and a bluetooth keyboard or scanner at the same time.
I was listening to music on my wireless STEREO bluetoth headset and my annoying teenage niece kept interrupting me (trying to find out what I was doing and what I was listening to). I showed her that I was listening to music that I had loaded onto a 4GB microSD card (about a 1000 songs) and was using wireless stereo headset. She truly enjoyed the wireless experience and wondered why her player didn't do the same. She quickly figured out that she could listen to music and IM her friends or play a game.
She quicly discovered the streaming video functionality provided by CV on the Tilt and the XM radio streaming application (which sounds equally as good on a stereo bluetooth headset). I think she enjoyed the XM radio application more because she could find her kind of music quickly.
I had to hide my Tilt from her or go into another room to play my retro favorite Ms. Pac Man.
Fun aside, the Tilt is a cool work tool. My company uses Exchange 2007 and had enabled direct push. What this means is that I can get all my work email, calendar, and contacts directly from the email server. I can even look up people in the company using the company address book that is on the server. This is a great improvement and makes a huge difference for me.
I loaned the device to a buddy for a day and he tried it in his company. His company uses Blackberry's exclusively. He was able to setup and configure the Tilt to work in the Blackberry system so that he could receive his email, calendar, and contacts from a blackberry server. This was huge for him as he had always had to use a blackberry and they arent as fast as the Tilt is.
I can also get my personal email on the Tilt. I used the microsoft email setup wizard and selected google gmail as my community and entered my username and password. I was instantly getting my personal email as well as my work (separate inboxes etc). The difference is that my work email is received automatically on the device as soon as the server gets it. The gmail is gathered every x period of time. I can adjust the x period of time to my liking. I haven't tried Xpress Mail but when I looked in the guides and the web site, it seems that i can get my personal email from this as well and the application has more features.
IM is a breeze to setup. Pick your community and away you go. You can choose between AOL, Yahoo, or Microsoft communities unlike other smart phones that have only the microsoft community. I did some research and found that AT&T or HTC had added this nifty application to the Tilt.
If you haven't determined it yet - I love the Tilt. A GREAT value at $299.99 and I shopped around before I made my decision and couldn't find a better value and feature set (and you should too). I am very pleased with my choice and will not be returning it anytime soon. Prying it from my cold dead fingers may be a better view!
My advice - get the following for your Tilt when you buy it. A case (personal decision here), a microSD card (very cheap now - shop around), a regular bluetooth headset (try a jawbone for excellent background noise reduction), a stereo bluetooth headset if you enjoy and plan to listen to music or watch videos.
Well, I have spent enough time on this review. I hope you find it helpful.34 out of 34 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Cant ask for anything more from a phone.
by RASB on October 4, 2007
Pros: Mini Computer, Can do everything my laptop can do, e-mail, micrsoft office suite, too many to list.
Cons: Cant think of any.
Summary: I have HTC TyTN II, I recieved mine a week ago, no problems what so ever. I replaced my Samsung I-730 what a workhorse had it for over 2years .RIP...
Summary: I have HTC TyTN II, I recieved mine a week ago, no problems what so ever. I replaced my Samsung I-730 what a workhorse had it for over 2years .RIP
. I ported everything from my old phone to my new one. No problem. I own a business here in Calfornia and this phone is perfect. It keeps me on point on a daily bases. I actually finished the last few slides of a powerpoint presentation during lunch the other day. lol and after I was done I laid it on the table tilted up and watched my sling box and saw everyone around me in awe. My business partner has an I-Phone and he's thinking about getting one as well. I asked him what are you going to do with his I-phone his answer was. "I'll keep as a TOY" or give to his Wife" heheUpdated
Yes it can play vids, music, movies, TV You name it, it can do it. Voice dial, My version has Video conferencing (HTC TyTN II) Voice recording, Note pad, I can write on it via stylus or my finger. Write a report on Word and if somebody else needs the report they can acces it via network or I can beam it to fellow pocket pc users. I can pull, view documents or do a power point presentation from my phone during a meeting through my laptop and over projector via network or simply connect my phone to the projector and maybe browse the web or even watch a movie on my slingbox, never miss a football game tell you that ,
Plus 1000's of 3rd party apps. that you can install on this beast of a little machine. Plus Navigation, I have Tom Tom. Very pleased.34 out of 36 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Jack of All Trades, Master of None...
by andrew_p_lee on December 30, 2007
Pros: touchscreen, many options, sleek design
Cons: slow, glitchy, screen hard to read in sunlight, battery life is horrendous, heavy, got in trouble with my girlfriend for repeatedly cursing at phone
Summary: I had always been intrigued by the HTC design so when I had the opportunity to upgrade to the TILT for $150 during ATT's Thanksgiving sale I swooped one ...
Summary: I had always been intrigued by the HTC design so when I had the opportunity to upgrade to the TILT for $150 during ATT's Thanksgiving sale I swooped one up. Big Mistake. Five weeks later I returned the phone for a Moto Q Global.
First, the phone is difficult to set up. I consider my self fairly tech savvy, and have had many different phones/PDAs in the past (blackberry, palm, Motorola, nokia, sony ericcson) but still ran into some problems customizing this phone. For example, I had to do internet research just to figure out how to delete an email account I had set up! Perhaps some of the troubles I experienced was a result of my lack of familiarity with windows mobile, however, I still think that the UI could be more user friendly.
Second, the battery life is downright terrible. I would leave my house with a full charge in the morning and thirty minutes later, after a few text messages, a couple MP3s, and a five minute phone call, my battery meter was at 50%. On another occasion, I went to LA for a one day business trip and my batter was completely drained by 2PM. At this point I still wanted to keep the phone, so I did more internet research. I downloaded and installed two programs, Kaiser Tweak and Bandswitch, that were supposed to improve battery life. Bandswitch is particularly nice because it allows the user to manually select which data connection is utilized. I would use an EDGE connection while the phone was in standby, and the 3G connection only when surfing the internet. These programs helped, but I still did not get me where I wanted to be with the battery. I would have about 20% left by 5 PM even with only light use of the phone.
Third, and most frustrating, the phone was extremely slow, glitchy and would often freeze. For example, my home screen settings would often change by themselves (various shortcuts I put on my today screen would often disappear). When the processor was working, the touchscreen and other buttons would often be non-responsive even though I was constantly closing all programs through the task manager. In addition, my contacts started to disappear. Its not that they were erased from my phone, they simply would not appear when I opened my ?contacts.? In order to have them reappear, I had to restart the phone. This was the straw (if you can call it that) that broke the camel?s back. This single event prompted me to return the phone.
Other things that really bugged me: 1) the screen was impossible to read in even the most minimal of sunlight; 2) the keyboard was difficult to use, especially with the ?send? button being so close to the ?t? button. With great frequency, I found myself sending messages accidentally; 3) the phone is very heavy; 4) the touch screen was nearly impossible to use with your fingers, requiring me to either slide out the keyboard or pull out the stylus anytime I wanted to do anything.
With all this said, there are some features I found nice. The voice commands worked well. WiFi was cool, but I never really used it. Putting in different themes and backgrounds was also a nice touch.
In sum, I had to return this phone because despite all of its cool functions, it simply was not practical. It does a lot of things, but none of them well. I was unwilling to continue to perform research and modify the phone just to make it work the way its supposed to. If HTC went back and ironed out all the bugs, I think this would be more usable.33 out of 39 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Low ratings due to non users rating it. Use one, its great!
by dancemorrison on October 5, 2007
Pros: packs a punch with specs. More than I can write on this line.
Cons: No LED flash, could have a better screen resolution, battery life is fairly short when running full throttle.
Summary: First, since it just came out today and its only 8:30 here in CO, I doubt that all the "reviews" from other readers with negative stuff to say have ...
Summary: First, since it just came out today and its only 8:30 here in CO, I doubt that all the "reviews" from other readers with negative stuff to say have much experience with the phone. All the ones with low scores that I read where all taking there "experience" from the article itself, and did not seam to have any real hands on time with the phone.
I have the HTC TyTN II. I have had it for about 3 weeks. Excellent phone.
In the review CNet says the speaker is too quiet. I think this is an ATT thing since my Treo 650(ATT version) and other ATT phones all had quiet speakers with a software fix available, ie, not a hardware issue. My speaker is LOUD, very LOUD.
They also claimed that the GPS has a hard time locking. On the unlocked version it has a program called QuickGPS that connects to the network and, I assume, downloads the general vicinity of the sats, thus giving your GPS (in my case Tom Tom) software help finding and locking on. It takes about 10-30 seconds for the initial lock, then works great there after. In the mountains there are some problems as to be expected, but for most of the time it worked great for me.
The camera, though it is three megapixel, has its faults, but since it is a phone, I would say it is VERY good for contact pictures and capturing those moments that dont need supper high quality photos, just a sharp image to help you remember the good times. Id like to see a flash, but that would have added more Oz's and less battery life, and with all the other features its a good trade off.
Speed, good. WiFi, great. Call quality, fine. Blue tooth sync, great. 3rd party apps, tons; I have my engineering needs met, my bank needs, my security needs and my entertainment needs all met. EMail, works and quick.
The looks of this phone are great. Though its a little heavier then my old Treo and is just slightly smaller, I am happy to pull this thing out in public and use it. Its not an iPhone, but it is a powerhouse with more capabilities then most phones.
My gripes, other then the ones stated above are... EExplorer is sub par, as always, and none of the other ones are much better, but they work well enough. The only way to use headphones is with the given stereo wired ones (that you dont even get with ATTs Tilt I think,) or getting a mini USB to 1/8" stereo converter to use your own.
I give this phone a 9, and, though I cant say flash your ROM to get the ATT version up to par with the TyTN II unlocked, you could look into it. If you just want the look of the HTC home screen, there are skins already available.
Go on, go play with one, you know you want to.Updated
Just wanted to say, I looked at CNets top ten most wanted and there at #1 was the TILT. Yep, iPhone down, tilt #1!
There are great user reviews, and I did one early on, but I had to just glow in the light of the Tilt.16 out of 17 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Best Windows Mobile Phone ever released
by amar_raavi on October 5, 2007
Pros: 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, full QWERTY Keyboard and of course the Tilt feature
Cons: Feels bit heavy compared to latest Windows Mobile SmartPhones
Summary: Being a Samsung BlackJack owner, i was bit hesitant to buy this device at first. Even before buying it i did enough research about this product, read different reviews and ...
Summary: Being a Samsung BlackJack owner, i was bit hesitant to buy this device at first. Even before buying it i did enough research about this product, read different reviews and being a user of Windows Mobile since 2003 i have decided to go ahead.
My first impressions were really good. Great Build Quality and looks, Good Keyboard, Nice Packaging (mentioning about HTC Kaiser here)and Tilt feature is pretty nice to have.
After using the device for more than 10 days, i feel that i have made a good decision. Being a BlackJack owner i really miss the single handed use though. But thats not a big deal. Thre are plenty of soft keyboards avaialable out there. They are good for light typing and messaging. For heavey typing, just slide the keyboard out. As simple as that.
My only complaint about this device is its weight.Its 190g (compared to 99g of Samsung BlackJack). But i am getting used to it and not feeling the pain. Compared to other Windows Mobile Professional devices its not a big difference.
About the size, its having a decent dimensions, not so big and feels good in hand.
GPS functionality of this device is a big plus. It can lock with in few seconds and works with almost all GPS (honestly i have tried only TOMTOM and iGuidance) and location based services(Yahoo, LiveSearch and Google Maps) without a glitch. I am pretty impressed with this.
Finally the battery life. As most of you know that the battery technology is lagging behind the device tech. You can't expect miracles here. With my usage level, i am getting atleast 10-12 hours of battery life. I better mention whats my usage. 3G Always on, Few calls - may be 20 to 30 min total duration, Push Mail always ON, Moderate to Heavy browsing (don't compare with desktop browsing), Wi-Fi OFF, No GPS usage, Bluetooth OFF.
Here is my final opinion. Its a phone to have if you are looking for a device with great email features, GPS and willing to pay for high speed data (you can make use of Wi-Fi as an alternative). Not to forget plenty of software and customization options available. Its an all-in-one device.
BTW, i have dropped my idea of buying an UMPC after buying HTC Kaiser. I can even RDP into my desktop anytime using this cutie. VGA screen would have made this device to compete directly with UMPCs, but its not a deal breaker at all.Updated
Media Capabilities:
Microsoft is having its own iTunes (come on. Its just Media Player). With the latest media player you can sync all your music, videos pretty easily along with Album Art and all other info just like iTunes. You can even sync your TV Shows, if you have a media center PC or Windows Vista (Home Premium and above versions). Coming to synchronizing TV shows you can decide Quality Vs Storage. For a fine movie quality it consumes around 300 MB per 1 hour of movie. Which is not bad at all.
Expandability:
It is having a user removable battery. Now people may ask why everybody is insisting on removable battery. It is useful when you really don't want to carry a charger everywhere. Just pop in the charged battery and you are good to go. On the other hand, the Sync cable acts as a charger too. So you don't have to carry a charger with you (as you know, USB ports are available everywhere now a days). Though the device is not having enough storage space, you have the option to expand it using a microSD card slot. AT&T Tilt supports microSD cards upto 32GB capacity (Don't forget the fact that only 6GB cards are available right now.).
Third Party Software:
Let me not compare with any other phone, but as a Windows Mobile device you will get pretty nice set of applications available for free as well as for small price.
The Best third party free software i am using right now is logmein (for Remote Desktop Access). It allows me to login to my Desktop and control it. Its almost like having a PC in your hand. Over the 3G or WiFi the logmein client is pretty much responsive and you won't feel much of a pain.
And i have to mention about applications like orb with which you can watch live TV on cell phone. Orb is having a desktop client which you have to install on your desktop (it should have a TV tuner) then you are ready to stream live TV from your Desktop to your Tilt. You can even schedule the recordings and watch recorded TV via streaming.
Still want to miss the fun ? Think about it
13 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
This gadget does EVERYTHING you need.
by kjdinoc on October 18, 2007
Pros: Major Hardware upgrade from previous versions
Cons: Windows U/I difficult to navigate with your fingers
Summary: I purchased two I-phones the week they were released. One for myself and one for my Partner. I found out real quick that Apple forgot to include a 64 Bit ...
Summary: I purchased two I-phones the week they were released. One for myself and one for my Partner. I found out real quick that Apple forgot to include a 64 Bit Vista O/S in I-tunes so one of them went back. I needed another phone so I held out until this Tilt was available. I have to say this is an amazing phone. It does everything and it's features blow the I-phone out of the water.
Apple wins hands down on it's U/I but in every other category this phone wins. My one and only complaint is that many areas of the Windows O/S are just difficult to Navigate with one hand, which you need when you are driving, etc. However this phone has added several hardware tweaks to make that easier. It has 10 buttons on it's face, a new jog wheel (scroll), select and enter key on the side that really does help with navigation. The QWERTY keyboard layout has been updated big time from previous versions making it more intuitive to use. HTC really made some major improvements. The phone "feels" rock solid. There is a rubber type material on the back and sides that feel quite durable.
at&t service has been good and the 3G, although not the fastest is adequate. The cool thing is that I can connect my 64 Bit Vista laptop to the Internet via this phone over USB and pull down about 1200 KBS. Not bad and setting up the connection was as easy as finding the Internet Sharing program on the phone. Basically plug and play.
The phone syncs flawlessly via Windows Mobile Device Center in Vista....life is good and I highly recommend this handset.10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Truly a mini-PC
by TiltBoy on October 5, 2007
Pros: Fast, tilt screen, slide out keyboard, GPS, great sound quality
Cons: Silver number keypad keys
Summary: I've owned an 8125, an 8525 and now the Tilt and can say that the Tilt is everything I always wanted a Windows Mobile device to be and more. ...
Summary: I've owned an 8125, an 8525 and now the Tilt and can say that the Tilt is everything I always wanted a Windows Mobile device to be and more. While a simply idea, the tilting display is incredibly useful, it turns this phone into a mini-pc. The faster processor and extra RAM make this device noticeably faster than the 8525 and it's been stable all day, despite loading it up with lots of softare. I'm currently running MS Voice Command, Telenav, CorePlayer (movies) and Slingbox and they all work flawlessly. Like it's predecessors, the slide out keyboard is a major feature as well, although the Tilt's is improved by lighted indicators for Shift and Fn lock.
Cell phone performance is exemplary as well. I made my first call from a noisy restaurant and the person I was speaking with could hear me perfectly. It paired easily with two different bluetooth headsets and sound quality was excellent on those as well.
This device is the first to truly realize the promise of Windows Mobile devices, I highly recommend it.9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: HTC America Inc.
- Part number: 99HCY091-00
Telecom
- Email protocols supported IMAP4, POP3
- Data services WAP, E-Mail, WWW, Yahoo! Messenger, SMS, AOL Instant Messenger, MMS
- Modem Integrated Wireless cellular modem
- Service provider AT&T;
- Cellular enhancement protocol EDGE, UMTS, GPRS, GSM, HSDPA
General
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 2.3 in x 0.7 in x 4.4 in
- Weight 6.7 oz
- Color Black
- Packaged contents Screen protection film
- Standby time Up to 192 h
- Vibrating Alert Yes
Operating System / Software
- OS provided Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional
- Software included Microsoft Office Mobile, ActiveSync
Memory
- Installed RAM 128 MB
- RAM technology SDRAM
- Installed ROM 256 MB Flash
Processor
- Processor QUALCOMM 400 MHzMSM7200
Input Device
- Input device type Stylus, Keyboard, 5-way navigation button, Trackwheel, Touch-screen
Digital Camera
- Still image resolution 320 x 240, 1280 x 960, 1600 x 1200, 2048 x 1536, 640 x 480, 160 x 120
- Digital zoom 10
Audio
- Digital audio standards supported WMA, MIDI, WAV, AAC +, MP3, AMR, AAC
- Audio input type Microphone
- Audio output type Speaker(s)
Display
- Display type 2.8 in TFT active matrix
- Color support 16-bit (64K colors)
- Max resolution 240 x 320
Power
- Battery installed ( max ) 1 Lithium polymer
- Talk time Up to 240 min
- Recharge time 3 hour(s)
- Power supply device Battery charger
- Power device type Battery charger
Expansion / Connectivity
- Wireless connectivity IEEE 802.11b, IrDA, Bluetooth 2.0, IEEE 802.11g
- Port / Connector Type:Interface 1USB
- Expansion slot(s) total (free) 1 MicroSD
- Cable(s) included 1 x USB cable
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2.3 in
- Depth 0.7 in
- Height 4.4 in
GPS
- GPS System / GPS Navigation GPS receiver
Manufacturer info
- HTC America Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse HTC America Inc. products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.htc.com/
- Address:
13920 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 - Phone: (425) 861-9174
- Email: info@htcamerica.net
- Fax: (425) 861-1715
