T-Mobile HTC HD7 Aims at Mobile Video with Windows Phone 7

By Tara Seals

AT&T Inc. might have snagged the lions share of the spotlight at todays Windows Phone 7 device launch, but its not the only game in town when it comes to the new OS.  T-Mobile USA announced the upcoming launch of the HTC HD7, which targets mobile multimedia features with a 4.3-inch touch display the largest screen available on a Windows Phone in the U.S., the company said.

With deep integration of entertainment brands, social networking capabilities and rich Microsoft services, the HTC HD7 intelligently brings together information and experiences that matter to customers all in a bold, sophisticated design,” said Paul Cole, vice president of product management at T-Mobile USA.

T-Mobile is shipping the phone with a range of pre-installed entertainment applications, including mobile video: Netflix for streaming thousands of movies and TV shows for Netflix members to watch instantly; and T-Mobile TV, offering consumers access to live and on-demand TV, including free programming from ABC News NOW, FOX Sports, PBS Kids, Azteca America, family holiday movie favorites and more.

T-Mobile, which unlike rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless doesnt have a pay-TV arm, can use the gambit to get a foothold into the lucrative television game. Whether its advertising or the fact that video tends to be a stickyand differentiatingservice, a move into mobile video could pay off for the carrier.

Other entertainment apps include Slacker Radio, Xbox LIVE gaming and features such as Friends, Avatars, Achievements, Messaging and more, and Zune for loading music, movies, TV shows and podcasts and taking it on the go. It also comes with T-Mobile Family Room on board, a new application that helps families keep in touch with a virtual chalkboard, shared calendar events for their Family Room group to coordinate get-togethers, sharing of pictures and real-time notifications alerting users when any family member posts something for everyone to see.

Productivity apps are part of the scene as well. The HTC HD7 includes fully integrated Microsoft Exchange e-mail and calendar as well as Office Hub, which offers customers mobile versions of popular productivity programs, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace.

The user interface of the HTC HD7 leverages something called Windows Phone Hubs, which, true to their name, bring together a related set of applications, services and content into a single view to simplify common tasks. Contacts, music, games and work can be shared, synced and accessed virtually.

The device comes equipped with the Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, GPS from TeleNav, Internet Explorer 8, 16 GB of internal memory, HD video recording, and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash. Pricing is TBD, and it will be available in mid-November.

The carrier also said it would carry a second WP7 phone, the Dell Venue Pro.