Verizon Wireless has released the system software upgrades it promised for two of its Windows phones, the HTC Touch Pro2 and HTC Ozone.

HTC Touch Pro2 for VerizonThese devices were released last year with Windows Mobile 6.1, but they can now be upgraded to the latest version of Microsoft’s Mobile operating system.

The HTC Touch Pro2 — a high-end model with a slide-and-tilt WVGA touchscreen and large keyboard — can be upgraded to Mobile 6.5 Professional.

The HTC Ozone — an inexpensive messaging-oriented model with a QVGA display and small keyboard — can be upgraded to to Mobile 6.5 Standard.

More about Windows Mobile 6.5

The latest version of Microsoft’s operating system for high-end phones isn’t a major upgrade. The most significant changes are included in the Professional edition.

This version of Windows Mobile 6.5 is more fingertip friendly, with many on-screen elements enlarged so users can select them without a stylus. Windows Mobile 6.5 also has more of a focus on consumers, as the Today Screen has been modified to include items like a music player and photo viewer.

Both the Standard and the Pro editions come with a new version of Internet Explorer, and have access to Microsoft’s new on-device software store.

An overview of the changes can be found in this article: Windows Mobile 6.5 Review.

Upgrade Now

These system software upgrades are available from the website of Verizon’s partner, PCD:

HTC Touch Pro2

HTC Ozone

Both are free to download and use.

Installing either of these ROM updates will erase everything that’s on the smartphone, so it’s important to back up any files before installation. This doesn’t apply to files that are on a removable memory card.

Source: HTC