Cingular, the largest mobile carrier in the United States, on Wednesday introduced the Cingular 2125, a cell phone that comes equipped with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. Read Red Herrings full review below.

 The Atlanta-based carrier said the 2125 is the first so-called smartphone in North America to feature Windows Mobile 5.0. To date, Windows Mobile has been much more popular among PDA makers. The current version of Windows Mobile 5.0 features a mobile version of Microsoft Office known as Office Mobile and Bluetooth capability.

The Cingular 2125 is the first smartphone to sport the carrier’s brand. Taiwanese wireless device maker HTC builds the device for Cingular. 

The new EDGE-enabled device is available in most Cingular Wireless retail stores for a base price of $199 with a two-year contract and qualified voice plan. The Cingular MEdia Net monthly unlimited data plan for the Cingular 2125 costs $19.99.

Cingular offers a number of mobile device operating systems including Pocket PC and the Palm OS.

“There are a lot of Windows Mobile devotees out there so we are meeting that demand,” said Cingular spokesperson John Kampfe. “We are also the largest Blackberry provider in the world, and we will soon be offering the Symbian [OS]-based Nokia 9300. We offer our customers a choice of platforms that they are comfortable with.”

Windows Mobile recently received a significant vote of confidence when Sling Media, the maker of the Slingbox, a device that allows TV subscribers to watch programs on their home TVs via the Internet, announcedSlingPlayer Mobile (see Slingbox Plots a Revolution).

SlingPlayer Mobile extends the reach of Sling’s flagship Slingbox technology to Windows Mobile-based devices, such as smartphones and PDAs, providing a less expensive option to consumers of mobile TV.

 Persistent Memory

Cingular 2125 will feature some of the benefits of the latest version of Windows Mobile including persistent memory storage, a feature that allows the device to retain information even when the battery is depleted.

The Cingular 2125 also allows the user to listen to music and watch videos using Windows Media Player 10 Mobile with a stereo headset jack. In addition, it includes a 1.3-megapixel camera.

The device supports a number of audio formats including MP3, AMR, AAC, WAV, and WMA, as well as MPEG-4 video streaming. A mini-SD expansion card slot allows the user to add memory for storing music, games, photos, and video. 

The device’s 1150mAh lithium-ion battery provides up to four hours of talk time and up to six days of standby time.