AT&T Tilt Cell Phone Review - Intro
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Mark Brezinski Published on October 25, 2007 Comment on this |
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The Tilt is a Windows Mobile 6 phone that bears a striking resemblance to HTC's last offering in the U.S., the Mogul. Like the Mogul, it has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that allows for some quick typing. It also features a 2.8-inch screen, which is larger than most, but not quite as large as the iPhone's display. Unlike the Mogul, however, the Tilt's screen can perform its namesake action by tilting upwards to a 45 degree angle. This means you can sit the device on a desk or airline tray table and use it like a laptop, as well as putting the device at a more comfortable angle for watching videos. This tilting does raise several issues, though: despite HTC's reassurance that it should survive a drop from a handheld height, the screen on our review unit broke after just a few days, leaving the screen to flip forward too far.
Other than that one setback in hardware, the Tilt proves itself to be a fairly capable device. Windows Mobile 6 is a good platform with a coherent layout and comprehensive software. Especially of note is the excellent Windows Media Player plug-in on the home screen. It allows most of the functionality of the music player and also provides easy access to the full player itself. One of the drawbacks of the operating system, however, is that it tends to be sluggish. Even with 128 MB of SRAM, the Tilt still suffers from lag — more so than we'd have expected.
The Tilt has an EDGE connection for data, but also supports UMTS/HSDPA where available. This means you'll get very fast transfer speeds. The Tilt also supports Wi-Fi connections, Bluetooth 2.0, and even infrared. It's a very well connected device.
The Tilt is offered by AT&T for $549.99 without a contract and $299.99 with a two-year contract after two $50 mail-in rebates.
Below are short descriptions of the review's sections and content. Clicking on a section's title jumps to that section.
Tour & Design - Here we discuss the tilting feature and the phone's overall appearance.
Audio Quality - The Tilt has good audio quality, but it won't handle the user's voice as well as it will an incoming caller's.
Imaging - While the camera on the Tilt isn't the best, you will find image handling software options, which are rare on phones.
Making/Receiving Calls - The Tilt handles calls well, but the time it takes to turn the phone could pose a problem.
Messaging - The Tilt provides some good e-mail and texting options, but we would've liked to see full integration of SMS and MMS messaging. AT&T has released several phones recently that have integrated the two, including its version of the Razr2, the other two versions of which did not have this integration.
Organizer - The calendar on the Tilt is excellent, and the rest of the organizer provides good functionality.
Multimedia - The music player plug-in on the home screen and Windows Media Mobile's good array of features make the Tilt a good media device. Unfortunately, however, the lag was especially bad when loading songs and videos.
Software - The included software is all standard for Windows Mobile phones, and shouldn't disappoint. Even if it does, the phone's extensibility allows you to fill in the gaps with third-party applications.
Battery Life - The Tilt's battery life was average overall.
Connectivity - As far as connectivity, the Tilt does very well, boasting options for Wi-Fi and the rarely-supported infrared.
Hardware - The Tilt's keyboard and screen size are the high points of its hardware. Its resolution is average, which is disappointing given the display's size.
Other Features - The Tilt has some good extras, such as GPS, PTT, and DUN capabilities.
Value & Comparisons - We felt the Tilt had enough features to merit its price, even in spite of its responsiveness issues.
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