HTC has launched the 3G MTeoR smartphone under the HTC brand identity. The MTeoR is expected to be available in late July.

From the news release:

The HTC MTeoR, the world’s first 3G Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, is a stylish, slim-line, candy bar device. It may be small, just 112.4 x 49 x 14.8mm and weighing a mere 120g, but this neat device is a powerful and “smart” phone.

The HTC MTeoR features Windows Mobile 5.0 Direct Push technology for immediate synchronization of email, calendar and notes plus document viewers for PDF, Word, Excel® and PowerPoint®. It’s the ideal choice for busy people on the road who only want to carry one small device.

With superb multimedia functionality it’s easy to store and play back music, video and pictures on the move. Coupled with its large 2.2″ TFT LCD screen and built-in 1.3 Megapixel camera, the MTeoR truly has smart style.

HTC MTeoR Reviews

Pocket-lint has a review of the HTC MTeoR and writes, “where the phone comes into its own is that inclusion of 3G connectivity. Surfing the web is, if you can find a decent 3G area, incredibly fast and that impressive screen only helps the experience further. … There is no doubt that the MTeoR achieves what it sets out to do and compared to Orange’s SPV range and other small keyboard lacking handsets it wins out, however a BlackBerry replacement this isn’t. This might be HTC’s first effort under its own brand, but it’s a very good start, and with the promise of even more handsets to come, this is one company worth watching.” Link.

Trusted Reviews has a review up of the HTC MTeoR and writes, “Design wise, HTC has really pushed the boat out. The mostly black casing is ever so slightly art deco in its shaping around the number pad area and the finish, which is predominantly matt and almost rubbery to the touch makes a nice change. The MTeoR is a great looking Windows Mobile Smartphone. … As a 3G Windows Mobile Smartphone the MTeoR is not all it could be as it can’t cope with video calls. The MTeoR’s rear camera is also disappointing. However, the general hardware design and the addition of the ClearVue document viewers are both plus points.” Link.

the unwired has a review up of the HTC MTeoR and writes, “The Windows Mobile 5.0 platform is the platform of my choice and since I’m not a video telephony user, it’s fine for me that this feature is left. Don’t get me wrong, even if I’ve listed a lot of disappointments above, I’m still satisfied with the device and if you are a European or Japanese UMTS user, if you don’t need HSDPA and you have no use for video telephony but you are looking for a stylish UMTS Windows Mobile phone, the MTeoR might be the device of your choice. If you live in North America or you plan to use HSDPA, you should skip the MTeoR and wait for its follower which will has - I’m sure - at least quadband GSM and triband UMTS Support, as supported by HTC’s latest Pocket PC Phone Edition, the HTC Hermes.” Link.

ITReviews has a review up of the HTC MTeoR and writes, “With around 66MB of internal memory to fill you shouldn’t be needing expansion too quickly, but when you do, a side-mounted slot will consume microSD cards which are currently available in capacities up to 1GB. Bluetooth and infra-red are both built-in, but Wi-Fi is not. … The MTeoR is very much ‘more of the same’ in many respects as far as Windows Mobile Smartphones are concerned. The novelty of 3G support is appealing, but not if you want to make video calls.” Link.

3G has a review up of the HTC MTeoR and writes, “With Bluetooth and infra red both on board the wireless communications bases are covered fairly well. Only ‘fairly well’ because without Wi-Fi there is no hopping on and off of free networks for your email or Web browsing fix. … What matters with any phone is usability, and here HTC has done a very neat job. … The MTeoR will disappoint you if you are looking for a 3G handset with video calling capability, and also if you want a high quality camera. But if your heart’s desire is a handset suited to fast data access such as mobile email and the Web, and you want something smaller and neater than a keyboarded device for these activities, then the MTeoR could be ideal.” Link.

LiveDigitally has a review up of the HTC MTeoR and comments, “As an organizer, it’s not nearly as slick as the PocketPC phones or even the Motorola Q with its keyboard. That said, I was able to surf through some Web sites, and browse and compose emails as well. Actually, I found the T-9 implementation on the MTeoR was extremely well done, with a perfect integration with the Windows Mobile OS to allow for rapid autocomplete and suggestions. … I was thoroughly impressed with the HTC MTeoR. In fact, if it were available with CDMA (I’m a Verizon customer), I’d probably adopt it as my primary phone. For anyone interested in a smartphone that easily fits in your pocket, has full access to all email and data services, and looks and feels great, I have to recommend you check it out. It’s absolutely LD Approved!” Link.

Brighthand has a review of the HTC MTeoR and writes, “Despite the learning curve that it took for me to be able to use the HTC MTeoR on a daily basis, I do think that it is a solid choice for a smartphone for many people. The ability to have a small and usable device that is as powerful as it is clearly sets the tone for an abbreviated type of productivity. No, you will not be using the MTeoR to replace a laptop, or even some PDA and phone combos. But, if you are looking for a device that does have a hand in being a suitable phone, and another hand in being an OK PDA, other than price ($475 at MobilePlanet, unlocked, not currently sold through a carrier), the HTC MTeoR is a solid device.” Link.