The AT&T Tilt (also known as the AT&T 8925, HTC TyTN II, and HTC Kaiser) was released in October of 2007 and was AT&T’s first Windows Mobile 6 Professional device. The most noticeable feature of the smartphone is its tiltable screen, similar to that of a laptop. This feature as well as its unmatched array of connectivity features has given the Tilt a considerable amount of media and consumer attention. It has garnered excellent reviews from media outlets such as this magazine, PC Magazine, CNET, LAPTOP Magazine, and others.
Strengths
Tiltable screen: Allows for better viewing on a flat surface, as well as the ability to adjust the screen so that it can be read in bright sunlight
Sports full array of wireless options: Wi-Fi (b,g), Bluetooth 2.0, GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSDPA network (provides excellent call quality), and 3G data speeds for fast viewing of Web videos
Built-in GPS receiver
Lots of memory: 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of ROM
Nice feel: The back of the device features a soft touch finish for improved gripping
MicroSD slot allows storage card expansion of up to 4 GB
Supports full array of e-mail formats, including Direct Push, BlackBerry Connect, AT&T Xpress Mail, POP3, and IMAP, as well as HTML format viewing of e-mails
3 megapixel camera with 8x zoom
Weaknesses
Lack of included accessories: No headset or holster
Bulky: 4.4 x 2.3 inches and 6.1 ounces
No flash on camera, and it must be held extremely steady for a clear shot
Speakers: Music sounds tinny through speakers and speaker phone sounds hollow
Limitations & Solutions
Reviews have stated that the battery cover is difficult to remove. The lack of a release switch may require the use of a sharp object to pry it off.
With the screen tilted up to its limit, the space available to press the soft keys is reduced, making it hard to get to them. You may have to lessen the tilt of the screen for better access of the soft keys.
Note that the SIM card slot is located on the underside of the display—not underneath the battery. It can only be accessed when the QWERTY keyboard is exposed.
If your Tilt is running sluggishly, it may be partly due to all the pre-loaded software that AT&T includes on the device. You can remove this software, but be warned that doing this may also cause some specific AT&T settings for text messaging, proxy servers, and other settings to not load, requiring you to set them manually. If you want to go ahead and remove the pre-loaded software from your Tilt, follow these steps:
Back up the device using the included Sprite Back Up software (or another method).
Go to Settings >System >Clear Storage. (This performs a “hard reset” of the device.)
After the Tilt reboots and you go through the initial Windows Mobile setup (screen alignment, cut & paste tutorial, and time zone selection), the Today screen will appear and a message will pop up informing you that the enhancements are being loaded. When you see this message, quickly do a soft reset by inserting the stylus into the hole on the bottom right edge next to the mini-USB port. The Tilt will then load the Today screen without AT&T’s preloaded software installed.
