Orange due to start Shift this month

Orange has decided to get on the “ultramobile PC” bandwagon, and is set to carry the HTC Shift from next month. The Shift is a cross between a normal mobile and a Lilliputian PC, with a flip top, 7 inch screen, full slideout QWERTY keyboard and a stripped down version of Windows Vista running alongside Microsoft Windows Mobile.

The device, which Orange has created execrable category of “mob top” for, also sports HSDPA and wi-fi connectivity. For the paranoid, there’s also a fingerprint reader to protect those precious contacts.

While it’s a little on the chunky side compared to most smartphones – the Shift is a bit too big slip into your pocket – HTC still makes a nod towards phone-dom with SMS functionality. The Shift is a gorgeous looking gadget, and the reviews have been stellar so far, but I can’t help thinking it would have been nice to see some voice action as well, so users don’t need to carry a normal voice centric mobile around too.

While there’s always VoIP, the Shift’s pricing starts at £999 on top of the data tariff. For that sort of price, I’d want the Shift to bring me tea in the morning too.