US Cellular became the first regional US carrier to pick up Windows Phone 7 with the HTC 7 Pro. Its device is a more straightforward adaptation of the Arrive for Sprint and shares its CDMA networking along with the NoDo update to Windows Phone 7. Its version is also closer to stock, although it comes with Your Navigator Deluxe to bring turn-by-turn driving.
Both phones share the 3.6-inch, 480×800 screen and tilting QWERTY keyboard that define the hardware. They similarly carry the 1GHz Snapdragon chip on the inside, a five-megapixel camera with 720p recording, and 16GB of built-in storage.
Stores should get the HTC 7 Pro on June 14 and will carry it for $200 after a $100 rebate. Existing subscribers won’t necessarily need to renew their contracts but will need a smartphone-level plan.