|  The
capabilities of new cell phones is wide open with numerous models offering media
rich features. AT&T has gone Full Tilt with the introduction of the
new Tilt 3G Smart Phone. This is AT&T's first phone to support Windows
Mobile 6 and is loaded with features such as Global 3G, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®
2.0, and comes with a beautiful 2.8" color touchscreen. What is really cool
about this phone is the top which slides to the side and can then be tilted slightly
(hence the name) much like a mini laptop. The QWERTY style keyboard offers large
keys, big enough to provide users a reasonable surface area and avoid key entry
errors. Designed by HTC, the AT&T Tilt supports Bluetooth® 2.0, which
allows for up to six Bluetooth devices to be wirelessly connected simultaneously
to the device and also supports Bluetooth Stereo. Since the screen is touch sensitive,
a stylus on the right bottom of the unit slides out, providing an easy way to
command the screen. The Tilt is solidly built and significantly heavy for a phone.
It includes a Getting Started CD, rechargeable battery, AC charger, USB cable
and a extra stylus.
Powered
by a Qualcomm MSM 7200 400MHz processor, the Tilt has 256 MB of ROM and 128 MB
SDRAM. The Tilt also has a microSD™ (SD 2.0 compatible) slot for expanding
the memory capability. A universal AC power adapter is included that accepts an
input voltage of 100 ~ 240V AC (50/60 Hz) and outputs 5VDC at 1A.  The
AT&T Tilt includes the latest version of TeleNav GPS Navigator™ which
provides GPS-enabled turn-by-turn voice and on-screen driving or walking directions.
The colorful 3-D moving maps and traffic delay alerts give users real-time and
updated maps. The latest version of TeleNav GPS Navigator also includes reviews
and ratings of nearby restaurants and allows customers to rate them directly from
their AT&T mobile phone. Business owners can use TeleNav Track™, a mobile
workforce management product that includes GPS-enabled tracking, time sheets,
wireless forms, navigation, job dispatching and bar code scanning for maximizing
efficiency.
Microsoft®
Office Mobile
The Tilt features Microsoft® Office Mobile that includes
mobile versions of Word, Excel®, and PowerPoint®. The streamlined version
of Microsoft Word allows documents to be created on your PC and then opened and
edited on your device. You can also create and edit documents and templates in
Word Mobile and save them as *.doc, *.rtf, *.txt, and *.dot files. Microsoft Excel®
Mobile makes it easy for you to open and edit Excel workbooks and templates created
on your PC. You can also create new workbooks and templates on your device. Microsoft®
PowerPoint® Mobile lets you open and view (not create) slide show presentations,
*.ppt and *.pps formats, created on your PC. Having access to the commonly used
Microsoft Office products gives a large number of users a powerful set of tools
when on the road. The
AT&T Tilt offers customers 3G broadband speed connectivity across the globe and
tri-band UMTS/HSDPA capabilities that allow the Tilt to operate in Japan and Korea.
AT&T offers UMTS, EDGE or GPRS international data roaming in more than 135 countries.
Customers can also use AT&T’s industry-leading international wireless roaming
coverage to make or receive a phone call in more than 190 countries. In
the US, the AT&T Tilt provides access to AT&T’s BroadbandConnect network in more
than 170 major metropolitan areas across the U.S., and coverage outside the 3G
service areas is available via AT&T’s EDGE network (available in more than 13,000
cities). The built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b and g) allows users to connect to corporate
or home wireless networks.  Built-in-
Camera
The Tilt offers the highest-resolution camera available
on any AT&T mobile phone today, featuring an impressive 3-megapixel resolution
with auto-focus. The Tilt is capable of supporting up to 32GB MicroSD cards
to expand storage for pictures, video, music and more. We tested the camera outside
with some real-world pictures and the results were surprisingly good for a mobile
phone. Good lighting conditions improve the picture quality. The first photo was
a shot of our garden with lots of scene detail. Colors looks accurate and well
saturated. We then took a picture of the kid's Rainbow
Play Set and the resolution was great. In both cases the camera was placed
in a fixed position using the timer to minimize any bluring.
 E-Mail
Options
The Tilt is the first Windows Mobile device in North America
to include BlackBerry® Connect™ v4.0 software, which provides BlackBerry
e-mail service, security and device management for IT administrators and wireless
synchronization of e-mail, calendar, contacts, task list and memo pad information
to users. BlackBerry Connect v4.0 supports push e-mail for Microsoft Exchange,
IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server
and personal e-mail through the BlackBerry Internet Service. Personal e-mail can
also be accessed using AT&T’s Xpress Mail service, which allows users
to access personal e-mail from most major POP3/IMAP personal e-mail services.
The interval times can be set by the user. They also can perform two-way wireless
synchronization of their calendars, access contact lists and view attachments.
The Tilt is capable of sending and receiving e-mail, text messages (SMS),
and MMS messages as long as your device is connected to a network.
Battery
Life
The user replaceable Lithium-ion/Lithium-polymer battery (1350 mAh)
provides adequate power for the phone for normal usage. The life of the battery
greatly depends on the way the phone is used. Battery life dropped significantly
with Bluetooth enabled and frequent e-mail accesses. Finding a good balance between
performance and power savings will increase battery life while maximizing the
capabilities of the unit.  The
left side of the Tilt has a PTT (Push to Talk) button, an OK button, and a jog
wheel that is used to scroll up or down to navigate through menus and program
instructions. Pressing the wheel carries out the selection. During a call or when
playing music, scroll up or down to adjust the sound volume level. When receiving
an incoming call, scroll down to decrease the audio notification volume. There
is also a SIM card slot available here. The right side of the phone has the power
button and camera button.
Making
Calls
The Tilt has some great features when making phone calls. The Smart
Dialing determines the contact as you start entering a phone number or contact
name. Smart Dialing will automatically search and sort the contact entries
on the SIM card, in Contacts, and the phone numbers in Call History (including
incoming, outgoing, and missed calls). You can then select the desired number
or contact from the filtered list to dial. The voice recognition is excellent
for numbers that we spoke into the phone and the Tilt confirmed the number
back to us before initiating the call. The
Tilt also provides access to AT&T Mobile Music — an integrated,
on-the-go music experience that delivers "your music, your way" by providing
simple access to the most robust collection of music content available today,
including XM Radio Mobile, which comes pre-loaded on the device and is available
for $8.99 a month. The AT&T Tilt also features CV streaming video service.
Customers can watch a large selection of video clips of their favorite television
shows, sports, news and weather, entertainment and premium content, including
hit HBO programs and exclusive mobile content from World Wrestling Entertainment. Pricing
and Availability
The
AT&T Tilt is available for $299.99 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate.
Unlimited monthly data plans for corporate e-mail are $44.99 with a voice contract
and personal data plans for personal e-mail begin at $29.99 a month for 20 MB
of data. AT&T also offers an international data plan for the AT&T Tilt
— 20 MB in nearly 30 countries — for an additional $24.99 a month. TeleNav
GPS Navigator is available for additional monthly charges of $5.99 for 10 trips
and $9.99 for unlimited trips. TeleNav Track service plans range from $12.99 to
$21.99 for each device. See www.att.com for details. Conclusion
The AT&T Tilt is a unique and powerful phone with lots of options for
connectivity and organization. We particularly liked the build quality and the
touchscreen of this unit. Multiple e-mail accounts are easy to set up and all
the important information is displayed on the large screen. The QWERTY-style keyboard
made the Tilt much more user friendly than some of the others phones we
have used. The included GPS made it a great tool for the road. We had great coverage
in most areas and the WiFi capability allowed us to use our local network at home.
As an alternative to the popular BlackBerry, the Tilt holds its own. -
Kevin Nakano | 
