Pantech introduced the Matrix Pro last week at the 2009 Mobile World Congress as the successor to the Pantech Duo. The Matrix Pro follows the tradition of the Duo by having a dual sliding keypad but better build quality. We have now learned through Pocketnow.com that the new Matrix Pro should be available at your friendly AT&T retail store beginning February 24, 2009. The reported price for the phone is $179.99 with a two year contract agreement. Non-contract pricing will likely be in the neighborhood $400-450.

The Matrix Pro will run Windows Mobile Standard and have a 528mhz processor under the hood. The new Pantech will have a 2.4" QVGA screen with GPS but no Wifi. The phone is noticeably thicker than its predecessor and appears to be thicker than other slider designs such as the HTC Touch Pro. We had our reservations about the Pantech Duo and while the build quality of the Matrix appears to be better, the thickness may be too much to overcome.

(Update: Brighthand has an early look)