You might recall this post some weeks ago when I informed you of the Pantech c810. Well, turns out at&t has released this phone (official press release here) with out much hype. So, in true DigitalWiseGuy style, I’m going to summarize some of the blog-o-coverage, and when I get my gadget-loving mitts on this thing, I’ll post my own hands-on review. Let’s start with the basics:

• Nice form factor, its has a T9 keypad (you know, the one with numbers) and a QWERTY on, thanks to its dual-sliding mechanism.
• Full 3G, no Wifi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a true world phone (where GSM is available)
• Windows Mobile 6 Standard
• Nice, big screen (not a touchscreen)
• Its small but chubby (the Danny De Vito of phones, if I may) probably due to its dual keypads
• The QWERTY keypad is nice, well spaced out.
• Some report that its $199, others $250 (with a 2-year contract, obviously)
• Its also has a Turbo mode, which makes the UI a bit snappier (but more power hungry perhaps?).

Thomas Ricker from Engadget reports:

Besides that rough, chubby look the phone also sports more than a few operational oddities including a mysterious “turbo mode” and the fact that sliding the phone open and shut does not answer or hang-up your calls. Fat? Sure, but still trimmer than the Helio Ocean also manufactured by Pantech

Charlie While from Gizmodo says:

The dual-slidin’ WinMo 6 phone looks a bit smaller than we thought it was (and smaller than the similar Helio Ocean), but still seems clunky and a bit thick for our tastes. But hey, what do you want for $250 with the usual two-year indentured servitude?

Brandon Miniman from Pocket now adds:

The QWERTY keyboard on the Duo looks fantastic (see image below) - the keys are large and they are spaced out nicely. I also am excited about the screen size at 2.8″, a size usually reserved for touchscreen devices.

To round up this does of quotes, Matt Hickey from Cruchgear says:

AT&T is positioning this device as a half-consumer, half-business handset, which makes sense. You’ll see more phones hitting this dual-purpose demographic in the future, and we’re glad to see it as a market segment that’s growing.

The PhoneScoop has a cool video about the Pantech c810. Check it out:

As I’ve stated before, I am in the market for a new phone, and after the Tilt’s disappointment, its now between this Dual Slider and the not-available-yet Blackjack2. We shall wait and see.

[Picture Credit: The Boy Genius Report]