AT&T Introduces HTC Surround With Slide-Out Speaker
AT&T has launched three new Windows Phone 7 smartphones. With the rising popularity of the Android powered smartphones, it remains to be seen whether the devices running on the latest operating system of Microsoft could match the expertise of the Google smartphones.
HTC Surround will be one of the first devices of AT&T that will run on the Windows Phone 7 operating system, developed by Microsoft. According to Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T, HTC Surround “is the perfect device for media and gaming enthusiasts”. You can easily locate a touchscreen phone with a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.
However, never before have we come across a phone with a slide-out speaker. HTC Surround will be one of the first smartphones to hide a slide-out speaker under the standard bar-shaped body of the phone. To enhance the audio quality of the device, HTC has equipped the speaker of the device with SRS surround sound and Dolby Mobile technology.
Other than the new operating system and the slide-out speaker, HTC Surround features the usual technical specifications of a smartphone. It boasts a large 3.8 inches touch screen display. HTC Surround users could access AT&T Movie TV to watch their favorite movies and TV shows on the smartphone display. This Windows mobile phone supports Xbox Live. Music and podcasts could be enjoyed through Zune, integrated in the smartphone handset.
The Windows Mobile Hub added to the HTC device will bring all the applications, games, music and contents stored in the device in a single view. If you are willing to spend few extra dollars, you can watch your favorite television programs through the U-verse application.
A 5-megapixel camera and a kickstand are present on the back of the Windows smartphone. AT&T Mobile Music could be accessed with the smartphone. Slacker radio, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, GPS with AT&T Navigator support and backup service through My Phone are integrated in the HTC device. HTC Surround offers 16GB on internal memory. The high-speed HSDPA connectivity and the preloaded Internet Explorer 8 browser provide robust web browsing experience.
HTC Surround will arrive in the AT&T stores in the holiday season. It will cost $200 along with a two-year AT&T service contract.
