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Better late than never: A platform upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 is finally available for the XV6900 smartphone from Verizon Wireless. The XV6900 is the carrier's version of HTC's popular Touch model, an iPhone competitor that was actually released shortly before Apple unleashed its game-changing mobile handset. Verizon introduced the XV6900 back in April of last year.

Windows Mobile 6.1 brings a number of enhancements to the XV6900. These include new timesaving features, easier phone navigation and management, stronger security safeguards, threaded SMS, support for Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, and an improved Internet Explorer Mobile application.

In addition to the latest edition of Windows Mobile, the software update greatly improves the XV6900 cellular-wireless data networking capabilities for much faster access to e-mail, corporate data, the Internet, and streaming media, for example. It does this by upgrading the smartphone's 3G technology to the EV-DO Rev. A standard from vanilla EV-D0.

The former more than doubles over-the-air download performance over the latter -- from 600 kilobytes per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second. It also boosts average upload speeds to 500-800 kbps.

This translates into being able to download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment -- the equivalent of a small PowerPoint presentation or a large PDF file -- in about eight seconds and uploading the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds, according to Verizon.

You can obtain the software upgrade for the XV6900here.

More on the XV6900
As with the iPhone, the chief means of interaction between a Touch and a user is through the smartphone's touch screen and the user's fingers through HTC's proprietary TouchFLO technology, which essentially grafts an advanced touch interface onto the Windows Mobile user interface.

TouchFLO is capable of recognizing and responding to the sweep of a finger across a screen, for instance. Sweep your fingers across the display to launch an animated, three-dimensional interface comprising three screens: Contacts, Media and Applications. It is even intelligent enough to distinguish between finger and stylus input, responding accordingly.

Specifications for the XV6900, which measures 4.0 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and weighs 4.0 ounces, include a 2 megapixel camera, a microSDHC slot, 128MB of RAM, 256MB of ROM, and a 1100 mAH battery for 3.5 hours talk or 10 days of standby-time on a single charge.

Not Verizon's Latest Touch
Last November, Verizon rolled out the Touch Pro, a newer model in HTC's Touch series. The Touch Pro ships with Windows Mobile 6.1 installed.

It also sports an enhanced edition of HTC's touch screen interface, called TouchFLO 3D. This version of TouchFLO is animated to provide quicker and easier access services and features.

When closed, the Touch Pro is designed to fit in the hand. Business-focused features include a five-row, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, expandable storage capabilities with a microSD card slot (1 GB card included) and a business card scanner application.

It includes an Opera-based web browser and a version of YouTube, as well as an edition of Google Maps that integrates with the HTC Touch Diamond' integrated GPS.

Turn the HTC Touch Pro horizontal from vertical and, like the iPhone, the browser will do the same.

It sports a higher-resolution, 2.8-inch VGA (640 x 320 pixel) resolution touch display over the original Touch model and ups the camera to 3.2 megapixels (with flash) from mere 2. The smartphone also integrates EV-DO Rev. A out of the box, , Bluetooth 2.0 with support wireless stereo headsets, A-GPS, and Wi-Fi.

There's 4GB of Internal Storage, 256 MB of flash memory, and 192 MB RAM.