Rogers officially launches Shift

Right on time, Roger and HTC have announced the official launch of the Shift UMPC. This marks the first carrier supported version of HTC’s unique mobile computer. The Rogers HTC Shift is available starting today for $1599.99 (Canadian), sporting the usual 40 GB hard drive, 7″ touchscreen, Wi-Fi b/g, HSDPA, Bluetooth, and more. Customers will be required to sign a 3-year contract on a minimum $50/month data plan. HTC and Rogers also announced a future device update, promised within 3 months, that will provide Telenav GPS navigation functionality. This is good news for anyone that absolutely needs carrier support, but if you’re in the market for a Shift, the unlocked version might still present a better value. $1,600 Canadian translates into about $1,622 U.S. If you look hard enough, you can find an brand new unlocked Shift for $1,499 U.S., which should come to you without the 3 year contract and SIM lock. Nuff Said.