In a perfect world, the HTC HD Mini will be a tremendous success. The pint-sized cousin of the HTC HD2, it packs in a rich set of smartphone features, all while coming in at a pocketable touchscreen frame.

What's holding it back? One primary thing: it's running Windows Mobile 6.5, an operating system Microsoft has all but given up on with the announcement of Windows Phone 7. To HTC's credit, they turned one of the most maligned mobile platforms into an excellent smartphone - one that operates along the same level as the HD2, arguably the best Windows Mobile phone around.

Physically, the HD Mini looks like a shrunken HD2. While it carries a "mini" in its name, it's actually more normal-sized - a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen on a 103.8 x 57.7 x 11.7 mm body. It's gorgeous, with a sturdy construction, a very trim design and some amount of durability with the backplate wrapping over to the edges. The display is actually just as responsive as I remember the HD2 to be, making it a joy to use despite the smaller real estate.

As a phone, it makes for excellent calls, with crisp tone, loud sound and very clear voices. Folks on the other end reported the same thing. Speakerphone was good on the HD2 and it sounded even better here, with just a hint of echo creeping into the conversations. Battery life is rated at around seven hours of talk time, which should make it usable for at least two days of regular use.

Like its bigger predecessor, it doesn't skimp on the features. For one, Windows Mobile is almost gone here - with HTC putting Sense UI on nearly every element of the interface. However, the original screens do occasionally pop up on some features, looking absolutely out of place. It does run slow on occasion, which is probably due more to Windows Mobile rather than the actual hardware.

While it still won't rival the iPhone or some of the better Android phones in terms of usability, there's plenty to like here. It gets all the basics covered, of course, including messaging, throwing in seamless Exchange support, a finger-friendly onscreen keyboard and impressive built-in apps for IM and email. A good amount of apps are bundled as well, which makes for one robust business phone out of the box.

HTC crammed multi-touch into the handset, allowing you to pinch-zoom across a variety of applications, including both bundled browsers (Opera and IE) and Maps. It supports both 3G and WiFi, allowing for quick-loading web pages and broadband services. Flash is only supported on IE, though. Like HD2, you can set it up as a Wi-Fi hotspot for tethering the 3G connection to your laptop. The 5.0 megapixel camera module takes decent photos, but it's nothing special.

Overall, the HTC HD Mini (around $500, depending on retailers) ably lives up to the HD2's excellent track record. If only Windows Mobile 6.5 isn't about to get less attention in favor of Microsoft's new platform, this would be a killer smartphone. As it is, though, you're buying something great that is bound to be looked over in just a few months.

The Samsung Omnia II i8000 has been one of the most hotly-anticipated releases of the year.  Fortunately, the wait isn't in vain - this is a terrific smartphone that's easily one of the best Windows Mobile devices in the market.

Physically, it sits on the bulkier side of the spectrum (0.52-inch thick).  The extra size is understandable, though, with a gorgeous 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen (800x480 pixels) highlighting the front panel.  Like all resistive panels, the touchscreen isn't as tap-friendly as capacitive displays.  With that said, Samsung has really gone a long way, allowing for the Omnia II to be easily used even without the precision of a stylus pen.  It sports a familiar candybar factor, with admirable build quality and a good (if slightly hefty) feel in hand.

It runs Samsung's TouchWiz 2.0, which is much-improved from previous iterations.  The new landscape QWERTY keyboard, which comes with the new Swype predictive technology (which guesses words based on how you move through the keyboard), works beautifully.  While there is a learning curve, I can see it being very helpful in the long run.  Suffice to say, the UI and controls are so well done you can barely tell it's a Windows handset - and that's a good thing.

As a phone, the Omnia II managed excellent calls, with clear and natural-sounding voices.  The speakerphone was also up to the task, adding minimal distortion during conversations.  It runs relatively fast (considering it's Windows Mobile 6.5 at the helm), with little delay, save for the most processor-intensive applications. The 3G connection is especially fast, making for extremely satisfying browsing, streaming and downloading speeds.  Battery life is rated at a 10-hour talk time.  Given that this is a full-on entertainment handset though (designed for heavy use), you will likely plow through that in two days or so.

The phone's biggest strength lies in its rich multimedia capabilities, including possibly the best movie viewing experience on a smartphone (seriously), wide media support (including DivX),  robust media players (with CoverFlow-style UI), an FM radio, excellent playback of streaming content (both over 3G and Wi-Fi) and a TV out.  If you want the best media player you can find in a phone, this should arguably be at the top of your list.

Like all Windows Mobile phones, the Omnia II comes with excellent business features, including MS Office Mobile, PIM tools, a business card scanner and a host of other bundled apps (e.g. Communities for social networking, Digital Frame, etc).  Messaging, of course, remains a strength, as with the original Omnia (and other WinMo devices).   Suffice to say that for both business and personal messaging needs, you aren't likely to be left wanting.

The onboard 5.0 megapixel camera comes with plenty of editing options, along with slightly above average photo quality and highly-impressive videos.  There's even a photo editor onboard, so you can throw a bunch of enhancements to your shots.  Other features include aGPS, 8GB of onboard storage and microSD expansion.

While we're no big fans of Windows Mobile smartphones, it's tough not to like this handset, especially at the $199.99 price (on contract).  It's easily one of the most complete multimedia devices around, apart from being a solid overall performer.

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Availability of the HTC HD2 (formerly known as the Leo) has already been confirmed for France.  Today, sources have announced that the handset will be released in unlocked form in the UK beginning November 11 for £469, excluding VAT.

As HTC's most well-featured release to date, it's actually pretty surprising that carriers aren't angling for exclusive rights to the phone.  Instead, it will hit Blighty streets with no carrier attachment, although both O2 and Orange are expected to offer it later in their roster as well.

If you're late to the news about the HD2, it's a feature-heavy smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.5 and HTC's Sense UI.  That's right - the same eye-popping interface found on the Android-powered HTC Hero is now on their Windows devices, too.  Even better, this version of the Sense features built-in integration with both Facebook and Twitter right out of the box.

Hardware details of the follow-up to 2008's HTC HD include a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen display, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, 448MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM, a 5.0 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, stereo Bluetooth and a 1,230mAh battery.   It also boasts quad-band GSM and dual-band HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity.

Europe appears to be the planned destination for the HTC HD2, at least, for the last quarter of the year.  No word on release schedule for other markets.

[via Unwired View]

Released by Verizon Wireless in the US, the HTC Imagio is the company's first Windows Mobile 6.5 device.  While designed as a business-friendly smartphone, it also comes with a slew of multimedia capabilities, including support for the carrier's range of streaming V Cast services.

Armed with a range of productivity tools (including Office Mobile, Adobe Reader LE and more) and a very good onscreen keyboard, the Imagio is an incredibly robust business device.  If that wasn't enough, users also get the benefits of Microsoft's Direct Push technology for your email, calendar, tasks and contacts, along with POP3 and IMAP support.

For multimedia, it comes with both Verizon's music player as well as WMP 10 Mobile.  It plays a nice range of files, including AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, MPEG-4, and WMV.  There's a YouTube app for streaming video, V Cast Mobile TV and the rest of Verizon's streaming lineup, all of which worked gorgeously.

Physically, the Imagio isn't as flashy as other smartphones (most likely, because it's being marketed for its business features), with its industrial appearance and hefty feel.  Regardless, there's no way you can ignore the gorgeous 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen display, along with the smooth edges and dimpled bezel.

As a phone, it managed excellent and clear voice calls, with natural sounding conversations.  Same with the speakerphone, which offered plenty of volume and clarity.  Overall phone speed, which uses HTC's TouchFlo 3D UI, was very good, almost surprising for a Windows Mobile machine.  Battery is rated at five hours.

Intended as a world phone, the Imagio supports both CDMA and GSM networks, allowing you to get both voice and 3G coverage in most places internationally. Both Opera and IE (with Flash Lite) are preinstalled on the unit, managing excellent full HTML renderings on the large display. It comes with the usual set of modern smartphone features, including standard messaging, GPS and stereo Bluetooth.

The 5.0 megapixel camera module takes above average quality pictures, with a huge lot of editing options and very sharp shots in lighted scenes.  It includes an easy-to-use touch focus mode and a video recording mode (with better-than-average movie quality).  There's very little default storage, though, so you'll have to use a microSDHC card to maximize the use of the phone.

Overall, the HTC Imagio continues the company's tradition of putting out the best Windows Mobile handsets around.  The roaming capabilities, coupled with the business functions and multimedia talents, make it an excellent all-around smartphone.

I've never known about Gigabyte's GSmart brand of handsets before.  Apparently, they have some amount of presence around HongKong, Taiwan and a few other Southeast Asian countries.  The company's latest effort is a full-fledged Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone called the GSmart S1200 and it's not half-bad.

Sporting slim 11.4 mm lines, the S1200 features a compact and attractive design.  I like the polished front, non-slippery smooth back panel and the overall sturdy build. Physically, this is a well-made, properly-designed device.  I'm very impressed.

Core hardware set is impressive too.  It touts a 520MHz Qualcomm 7200A processor, 288MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM.  The 3.1-inch resistive touchscreen is pretty good, touting a 480 x 800 resolution, with excellent display quality.

It runs a custom UI over Windows Mobile that Gigabyte is billing the Smart Pack.  Set includes four custom themes, a variety of wallpapers, a widget interface and up to nine different 3 x 3 home screens.  While it's generally good (albeit, a little too slow), the whole UI is not as well-integrated as some of the more prominent Windows Mobile skinning as of late, such as  TouchFlo or TouchWiz, spanning only a couple of menu options before reverting back to standard Windows screens.

As a phone, the S1200 manages average quality voice calls.  Onboard speakers are particularly loud, although there's a certain sharpness to the sound.  Battery is only rated at four hours of talk time, so you'll likely end up having to recharge every day or two.

Features include a 3.0 megapixel camera (great interface; below average image quality, with no flash), a GPS tuner (no mapping software), high-speed broadband (HSPA and Wi-Fi), stereo Bluetooth and a full messaging suite, including SMS, MMS, email and IM.  Text input is, unfortunately, not very good.  Layout is non-standard and you'll need a stylus, as the keys don't respond so well to finger taps.  The QWERTY keys are also particularly small, making the whole ordeal of typing a chore.

Overall, there are way better Windows Mobile handsets around than the Gigabyte GSmart S1200, especially at the $550 price point.  While it features good looks and a powerful hardware set, the inadequate camera, slow UI and the lack of a 3.5 mm jack offsets the advantages.

We all know that the line between computers and cell phones are only bound to get blurred even further.  A new phone from a Chinese manufacturer will not only be running a full-fledged smartphone OS, but come fitted with two of them by default.

Called the Sunno S880, the new handset can dual boot into both Windows Mobile and Google's Android OS, allowing you the benefits of two smartphone systems (Win Mo for its software selection and Android for the better UI) in just one device.  Of course, being from a largely unknown Chinese manufacturer, I wouldn't put much stock in seeing well-done customizations that leverages the features of both systems.  Who knows, though?  I'm hoping to be surprised.

Powering the phone will be an 806Mhz CPU and 256MB of RAM, which they claim is similar to what the Omnia 2 is currently using.  It will sport a large 3.6-inch touchscreen display (WVGA resolution), 8.0 megapixel optics, Wi-Fi and GPS.  The understated looks and matte finish don't seem too bad either.  If there ever was high-end smartphone release from a Chinese brand, this would probably qualify.

The Sunno S880 is tentatively slated for an official launch on October 15.  Let's hope this works better than expected - I'd love to get my hands on a more affordable Android handset.

Like many of the company's higher-end releases, LG's GM730 is a very stylish device.  Running Windows Mobile with the 3D S-Class UI on top, it offers predictable smartphone capabilities.  Does it offer anything more than the typical WinMo handset, though?

LG always makes physically attractive phones and the GM730 is no different.  At 109.8 x 56.5 x 11.9mm dimensions and 107g of weight, it's exceptionally compact - perfect, if you want a touchscreen device that doesn't try to rip your pocket.

The trade-off of that size, of course, is the considerably smaller screen, which measures 3-inches and sports a 400 x 240 resolution.  Most folks spoiled by the now-standard 800 x 480 displays will, undoubtedly, find it just a little lacking.

Touchscreen performance is just about average for a resistive unit.  As good-looking as LG's S-Class 3D UI is, it pales in comparison to similar Windows Mobile skins from HTC and Samsung.  Only the surface interfaces have been retooled completely, leading to an inconsistent experience throughout the phone.  If you're used to the Windows Mobile feel, however, this may actually prove easier for you than learning an entirely new UI.

As a phone, the LG GM730 offers good quality voice calls, from both the earpiece and the speakerphone.  It supports a wide range of messaging options, namely SMS, MMS, email and IM.  Like other WinMo devices, it comes with plenty of default capabilities, such as Outlook syncing, data tethering and Office document integration.

Both HSDPA and Wi-Fi are available on the GM730, making it a very good phone for connecting to the web.  Again, if you're used to larger display panels, you'll probably find the screen size a little lacking for browsing.  Otherwise, it works well enough, especially when paired with a stylus for controls.

Other features include stereo Bluetooth, a GPS radio and a 5-megapixel camera.  The camera module, surprisingly, comes with no LED panel, making it largely unusable in dimly-lit situations.  Outdoors, however, it manages above average stills, with great colors and sharp lines. Camera UI was also pretty snappy.

Overall, the LG GM730 doesn't really bring anything to the table that other Windows Mobile handsets skip on.  While it might prove a good choice if size is an issue, HTC and Samsung phones along the same price range might actually be better purchases.

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Like the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60, the Pharos Traveler 127 puts GPS features front and center in its smartphone package. It ships with built-in navigation software, along with all the things you can expect from a typical Windows Mobile device.

Because it comes with Smart Navigator software, users won't need to make a separate app purchase to maximize the phone's GPS hardware. This is great, considering the extra expense it usually entails, whether you opt for a subscription service or a one-time payment.

Unfortunately, Smart Navigator isn't the best GPS software around. Compared to the HTC Touch Cruise and the Nuvifone G60 (both of which shipped with impressive navigation apps), the app bundled with the Traveler 127 isn't the most user-friendly, with a badly-designed menu system that can get confusing. It is a complete system, though, offering voice and text navigation, multiple routes, POI and trip recording. There are also real-time updates for traffic, gas prices, movies and local weather.

Physically, the handset is a bit on the thick side and looks rather industrial in design. It sports a 2.5-inch TFT touch display with 320 x 240 resolution and a slate QWERTY keyboard. Both performed up to par, although the screen tended to fade out under sunlight. It uses the default Windows Mobile UI, which is pretty bad, and comes with a trial version of SPB Shell, an app we recommend you buy if you want to make your WinMo experience much easier.

As a phone, the Traveler 127 offers quad-band world roaming and decent calls. Over several tests, voice calls were pretty uneven, offering average quality at times while sounding hollow during others. It comes with standard WinMo niceties, such as Windows Live Integration, Mobile Office and Exchange support.

It  offers tri-band 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, making for capable data speeds. The phone is quite sluggish, though, which slows down most every activity, including web browsing. It also comes with stereo Bluetooth, some basic media playback and dual cameras. The main optics panel is a 2-megapixel unit with video and geotagging capabilities. Photo quality is surprisingly impressive, with a good interface to boot.

Overall, the Pharos Traveler 127 makes its case by virtue of the bundled GPS system. Unfortunately, this advantage is offset by sluggish hardware, making for a really tough sell. Available for around $500 without a contract, either the Touch Cruise or the Nuvifone might prove a better purchase.

Before their deal with Garmin was finalized earlier this year, Asus made a short-lived attempt at their own cell phone line. The last one from that futile effort was a touchscreen Windows Mobile handset that's currently available in unlocked form, called the Asus P835.

Physically, the phone's design looks a bit dated, lacking much of the sleek details that more popular smartphones are usually fitted with. Despite that, the phone feels particularly solid, with a good weight and sturdy build. It sports a large 3.5-inch display, with an 800 x 480 pixel resolution. Physical controls are decent, capped off by a trackball, which comes very handy when navigating the UI. Touch interface, unfortunately, is prone to lagging.

Asus threw in a good range of features for this phone, which makes it sort of attractive, despite the decidedly unappetizing custom home screen they outfitted the Windows Mobile base. It offers a full range of connectivity options, for instance, including tri-band HSDPA, quad-band GSM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

It comes preinstalled with a number of useful apps, including a Wi-Fi Sharing facility that allows you to open up your phone's 3G connection to as many as 10 users at a time. The phone itself is running on 288MB of RAM, which should help prop up the operation speed a little bit. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera (average quality), a GPS tuner, a media player with a wide range of codec support and microSD expansion (with a 4GB card bundled in the box).

Voice and video calls worked well on the phone, including pretty nifty performance from the speakerphone. Typing on the onscreen keyboard is about standard for what you expect from a WinMo phone - usable, but not perfect.

Overall, Asus P835 is a decent touchscreen effort. With a very attractive price point (between $450 to $550, depending where you find it), it also seems like a bargain for the hardware capability. There's no way it's going to go up against majority the of touch-based smartphones on the market, though.

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The Toshiba TG01 is probably as cool as a Windows Mobile handset can get. It's got the fastest processor to ever find its way into a cell phone, a massive 4.1-inch screen and a skinny 10mm thick frame. Of course, hardware is nothing without the proper software to back it up. So how does the TG01 fare?

Windows Mobile has long been derided for its slow performance. As we wait for Microsoft to finally put a fix on their mobile platform's woes, the TG01's 1GHz Snapdragon CPU capably makes it seem much faster than usual. Surprisingly, though, it's still not fast enough to make me forget it's running WinMo in the guts - there's still some delay when you launch apps and such.

Despite all of WinMo's shortcoming, it is heavy on features and that's something you can count on. Apart from the built-in versions of Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook), there's literally a plethora of available apps in the market (if you have the resolve to find them, of course) that can take advantage of the handset's blazing-fast 1GHz of processing power.

The TG01 runs a custom UI over the Windows build, which shows a lot of promise. Most disappointing, perhaps, is the fact that it uses Windows' stock of bland, low-color icons, which look so dated it feels ridiculous. Maybe, we'll see this improve a little with the upcoming 6.5 update - the TG01 needs it.

As a phone, the TG01 manages pristine voice calls, along with average messaging conveniences. It offers pretty much every messaging feature you can imagine, but it is all offset by a decidedly unforgivable keyboard with a space bar measuring the same size as regular buttons in landscape mode (really).

Physically, it's a beautiful piece of hardware. The large resistive touchscreen is gorgeous, making even the miniature WinMo icons easily discernible and much more convenient to work with. Make sure to always carry the stylus, though, as those tiny menu items will require it.

On the features end, the TG01 comes equipped with all the usual suspects. Playing games and watching videos are both exceptional on the huge, colorful screen. For best viewing experience, though, we suggest sticking to WMV format for your clips - they handle marvelously. Music playback is similarly good, as well as streaming media.

Web surfing is aided greatly by the handset's support for both Wi-Fi and 7.2Mbps HSDPA. Page rendering is very fast with complete Flash support. This is arguably one of the best web-browsing phones around, especially with that large display panel. Browser execution, however, is another story altogether - let's just say they made some unconventional and ineffective design decisions. Other features include a rather average 3.2 megapixel camera (average quality and with VGA video to boot), Bluetooth, aGPS and memory card expansion (up to 32GB).

As exciting as a 1GHz cell phone is, the Toshiba TG01 isn't the best smartphone execution you'll witness. While it's a clear winner in some ways (fast page loads, Flash support, gorgeous display), it's also a bummer in others (weird keyboard choices, strange browser mechanics). With that kind of hardware, though, it just might get a whole lot better when the Windows Mobile update comes around.

Toshiba