Toshiba unveils 1GHz Windows Mobile phone

Toshiba has launched a new Windows Mobile handset that the manufacturer says is the first mobile phone to use Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon processor.

The TG01, unveiled on Tuesday, runs Windows Mobile 6.1. It will also, according to Toshiba, run the much-delayed Internet Explorer Mobile 6. The mobile web browser has not yet been released — it was due in handsets late last year — but Microsoft has said it will offer a desktop-like browsing experience.

The handset has a 4.1-inch WVGA (800x480 pixel) touchscreen and, like many recent Windows Mobile-based handsets, a custom-designed user interface.

An unusual feature in Toshiba's user interface is the ability to answer calls by shaking the phone — a function that uses the built-in accelerometer. Similarly, the user can cycle through open applications by tilting the handset to the left or right.