T-Mobile Wing Takes Flight

Michael Gartenberg | May 30, 2007, 11:46 AM

T-Mobile has introduced a new Pocket PC based phone, (now correctly called Windows Mobile Professional) called the Wing and it's a worthy successor to the now dis-continued MDA device as a QWERTY keyboard based, QVGA full featured device.

One of the challenges with building a smartphone is that everyone has different needs. Some want as much functionality as possible, others want the smallest form factor. The Wing is a great balance between power and size with great design as well. I was a big fan of the MDA device, but it was a little too large for me to carry around all the time and it also lacked the ability to be used one handed. The Wing addresses those issues. It's much thinner than the MDA (although not quite as thin as a Dash) but also uses Windows Mobile 6 so it's really optimized for one handed use. The feel is excellent, with a wonderful soft touch finish and a spring loaded slide that reveals the keyboard elegantly.

The Wing is based on an HTC reference design and HTC has been doing Windows Mobile longer than anyone else and it shows. The balance of processor performance, power settings and the like is excellent and results in a device that has great battery life and still feels snappy. T-Mobile adds some of their own software so there's  full set of IM clients and connectivity to T-Mobile hotspots.

Overall, it's a great addition to the line for TMO and it complements that Dash really well for folks who need the full Windows Mobile experience but still want something light and elegant to carry around. This one's a winner.