Running Android and using HTC’s Sense UI, the Hero and the Tattoo “are focused on personalization and accessibility.”

HTC Hero features a 3.2 inches capacitive touchscreen display with 320 x 480 pixels, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5m headset jack and a 5MP autofocus camera. The Hero will be available in Australia for AUD 799 ($745).

The HTC Tattoo has a smaller display (2.8 inches, resistive, with 240 x 320 pixels) and a 3.2MP camera, but it also features HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS.

The price of HTC Tattoo in Australia will be of AUD 599 ($559). Users can buy personalized covers for it here.

Via Press release

• HTC Tattoo (Click) announced, ships in October
• HTC Hero announced for India – the country’s second Android phone
• Pink HTC Hero to be available in the UK this month
• TattooMyHTC launched, obviously for the HTC Tattoo
• Orange UK launching the HTC Hero tomorrow

Some new info points out that we won’t see any dumbphone from HTC this year. Instead, there will be several in early 2010 – and apparently both Verizon and Sprint will launch some of them in the US.

According to DigiTimes, the reason for the handsets’ delay is Qualcomm Brew’s “relatively immature application service platform offering for telecom carriers.”

Qualcomm is currently working with various software developers for launching dedicated Brew apps related to web browsing, GPS and mobile community services.

Let’s hope the HTC Brew phones will worth the wait.

• Qualcomm and BlackBerry heading for Korea now that WIPI’s gone
• RIM’s own App Store: BlackBerry Application Storefront, ready in March 2009
• Samsung stakes its claim in mobile app gold rush by opening TouchWiz UI to developers
• Sony Ericsson will open Xperia X10 Timescape and Mediascape UX apps to developers, port across Android and Symbian devices
• SK Telecom and KTF launch DRM-free music service in Korea, LG Telecom to follow

With a contract agreement for two years and a monthly plan of at least £35 ($58), the HTC HD2 is free. You can get it for free with an 18-month contract too, but only with monthly plans of at least £40.

The new Windows Mobile 6.5 handset is available online here.

Vodafone UK doesn’t offer the HD2 on Pay As You Go for now, and there’s no word if it ever will.

O2 and T-Mobile will probably launch the HTC HD2 in the UK as well, but the exact release dates are not known at the moment.

Via Pocket-lint

• Samsung Jet S8000 already available in the UK, free on select Vodafone plans
• Nokia N900 to hit the UK on Nov. 16, free on select contracts
• Virgin Media launches mobile broadband service in UK for less than $30 a month
• Palm Pre officially coming to O2 UK on October 16
• Virgin Mobile UK offers Windows Live Messenger for free

As rumored, Verizon will sell the Droid Eris for 99.99 on contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate) starting November 6, the same day when the more expensive Motorola Droid becomes available.

The features of HTC Droid Eris include a 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen display, HTC Sense UI, Wi-Fi, GPS and digital compass, HTML browser with Flash Lite, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, 5MP autofocus camera, and an 8GB MicroSD card in the box.

Unlike the Motorola Droid which will come with Android 2.0, HTC Droid Eris runs Android 1.5 (but it might be upgraded to 2.0).

Verizon has also (silently) launched the LG Chocolate Touch VX8575.

Available starting today for $79.99 on contract, the LG Chocolate Touch features EV-DO Rev. 0 connectivity, a 3 inch touchscreen display with 400 x 240 pixels, VZ Navigator, HTML web browser, Dolby Mobile sound, 3.5mm headset jack, FM radio, 3.2MP camera, 1GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support.

Via Gizmodo

• Verizon Motorola Droid announced, comes on Nov. 6 for $199.99
• Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris shows up in press and hands-on photos
• Verizon’s LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 shows up again
• Best Buy pre-selling Motorola Droid on October 29, no mail-in rebate
• Verizon’s Samsung Rogue and Samsung Intensity appear in official photos

Moreover, HTC and Microsoft have also unveiled that the HD2 would be available in the US in early 2010, offered by a “major carrier”. Verizon? AT&T? T-Mobile maybe? We’ll see.

Previously known as HTC Leo, the HTC HD2 was officially announced at the beginning of October. Its features include Windows Mobile 6.5, a 4.3 inch WVGA touchscreen display, HTC Sense, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, 3.5mm headset jack and a 5MP camera with autofocus.

The exact price of HTC DH2 is not known, but it should be around €500 ($738).

Via Press release

• LG GM750 with Windows Mobile 6.5 announced by Vodafone
• HTC HD2 (Leo) made official by O2, sort of
• HTC makes the HD2 (Leo) official
• More details on HTC Whitestone, Firestone, Thoth and others
• Samsung Armani B7620 goes to Germany in November, costs €729

Samsung is developing TouchWiz, LG has S-Class, Nokia has S60 5th edition (Now Symbian^1) and Maemo 5, Sony Ericsson has their panels, even Acer has come up with it’s own UI for the new smartphones.

However, one of the most interesting and innovative companies in the field is HTC. They were the first to skin Windows Mobile with advanced TouchFlo UI. Later that became an even better ToucFlo 3D. And, just a few months ago, they transformed that into an even more advanced HTC Sense UI, which is easily, one of the best touch interfaces out there.

But HTC is not sitting still, and seems to be at work on a new generation of touch UI, organized as a virtual book:

Described in HTC patent application,  called “Electronic device and user interface display method thereof”, the book like UI:

organizes applications, widgets, and web pages into pages of a virtual book. Each page of the virtual book is the UI of a service or function of the handheld electronic device. Flipping the pages of the virtual book means browsing and selecting the services and functions provided by the handheld electronic device. This book-like UI enables the user to use and manage these applications, widgets, and web pages in an easy and intuitive way like browsing a conventional printed book. The book-like UI hides the differences among applications, widgets, and web pages so that the handheld electronic device can be accessed through a uniform and convenient UI.

The virtual book UI is pretty flexible and customizable, allowing carriers or service providers to add their services, programs and widgets, as additional pages in a book.

The idea sounds pretty interesting. At least on paper. I wonder how all this flipping through pages will work in real life.

Still, HTC already proved that they can design and implement some great touch interfaces, so the book style touch UI might turn up just as good, if/when HTC decides to release a new mobile device with it.

• Touchzel – Apple’s new way to control your handhelds
• Sony Ericsson’s Mobile Phone/Universal Remote Control
• Better input and bigger screens for cell phones? How about virtual screen from Samsung?
• Nokia patents a dedicated gaming console/phone idea
• Nokia’s lid on a touchscreen interface

The Droid Eris should be Verizon’s second Android smartphone, after the Motorola Droid – in fact, previous rumors have it that the Eris will actually be available at the same time with the Moto Droid, starting November 6 (but no one can officially confirm this at the moment).

Interestingly, the Eris will not come with Android 2.0 from the beginning, and BGR says that the smartphone is “overall the same as the Sprint Hero but for some reason it seems faster, slightly thinner and taller.”

Here are two hands-on photos of the Droid Eris:

And the handset’s official look (via PhoneArena):

Verizon should sell the HTC Droid Eris for $99.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement.

• Verizon announces the HTC Droid Eris, launches the LG Chocolate Touch
• Rumor: Droid Eris to sell at $99
• CDMA HTC Hero approved by FCC – Sprint launch imminent?
• HTC Hero (Predator?) apparently confirmed for Verizon
• Sprint intros the Android HTC Hero – available starting October 11

The HTC YOU campaign has a pretty smarty tagline: “You don’t need to get a phone. You need a phone that gets you”, and it represents the Taiwan-based company’s commitment “to focus on people, their needs and how they work and live to ensure that HTC devices suit them”.

Created in collaboration with Deutsch LA Inc (a Los Angeles-based advertising agency), the YOU campaign will be rolled out in 20 countries around the world, starting the next few weeks.

“We’ve come to have a very emotional relationship with our phones. Many of our key experiences in any given day come through this one device and yet most of the advertising in the category is still about utility. HTC’s whole design philosophy is very personal. They make phones where your experience is completely unique, so we think there is a connection between how people feel about their phones and how HTC makes them,” declared Eric Hirshberg, co-CEO and chief creative officer at Deutsch LA.

As for the Quietly Brilliant brand, this stands for “doing great things in a humble way, with the belief that the best things in life can only be experienced, not explained.”

Here are two HTC YOU TV ads:

Via Press release

• Motorola teams up with David Beckham to sell its Aura phone
• Sagem to launch Puma phone ahead of 2010 FIFA World Cup
• Samsung Social Campaign Smartphone wins IDEA Award
• Google buys mobile advertising company AdMob for $750 million
• Air France and KLM now offer boarding passes on mobile phones

And, very soon,  I started getting questions from readers, who already bought HTC Magic handset with plain vanilla Android UI, whether there is any way to get Sense skin on Magic. Well, on G1/Dream too.

I know that HTC promised to port Sense to previous models. Still.

Until today, the answer was “No”. And, for most of Magic owners and all G1s, it still is “No”.

But today I have some good news, that indicate that soon Sense UI may be officially made available for HTC Magic devices. At least where their carrier contracts and Google licensing requirements do not prevent it.

In fact, HTC Sense UI has already ‘been made available for HTC Magic owners on Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom.

It will probably depend a lot on the operator, that you’ve got your HTC Magic from, and if your Magic is promoted as a Google phone.

But let’s hope HTC Sense updates will be rolled out pretty soon for the rest of them.

As for G1/Dream? Sorry, I’m not sure that that prototype level ugly hardware, running super optimized alfa/beta level software can handle Sense.

If it can, it may be ported, just don’t bet on it.

Sense UI availability on HTC Magic, was a super nice, consumer friendly act enough.

Can you name any other handset maker that did the same? (Except for Apple, who did not have to worry about screen resolutions, and other stuff)

• HTC Dream and HTC Magic announced by Rogers for Canada
• HTC Dream G1 captured in the wild
• HTC’s T-Mobile G2 to be launched as HTC Magic by Vodafone
• HTC Hero and HTC Sense now official (update, video included)
• New HTC Android phone leaked, might be the Dragon

Details are scarce at the moment, but the Desire is probably similar in features with Sprint’s HTC Hero, which is already available (for $179.99 on contract).

It’s said that the Desire is “extremely fast” and it uses HTC’s Sense UI (on top of Android, of course). No word yet on when Verizon will announce the handset, but this should happen pretty soon. Until then, here’s the HTC Desire in all its (darkened) glory:

Together with the Motorola Droid (confirmed by Moto) and Motorola Calgary, Verizon will soon have three brand new Android phones – and that’s great news.

• Verizon’s Motorola Calgary in live photos, MotoBlur confirmed
• Motorola Calgary to run on Android. Motorola Rolex in the making?
• Droid Will be an Entire Series; HTC Desire Becomes Droid Eris
• Motorola Android phone confirmed for Verizon for Q4 2009?
• Motorola Milestone (Droid) officially launched in Europe. Gets multi-touch, loses free navigation

The handset we can see in the photos below seems to be a GSM phone. It has a large touchscreen display (probably with 480 x 800 pixels), a trackball and a photo camera with flash on the back.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know about this device, which might become HTC’s fifth Android phone (after the Dream, Magic, Hero and Tattoo).

It’s rumored that the HTC Dragon will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor at 1GHz, like the recently-announced Acer Liquid A1. Let’s hope it won’t be long until HTC decides to announce the phone.

Via The Unlockr

• Acer Liquid A1 to come in November for €380 unlocked
• Acer F1 may come in September powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon CPU
• Acer Liquid A1 – the first Android phone with a Snapdragon CPU
• HTC Hero announced for India – the country’s second Android phone
• CDMA HTC Hero looks more like the Magic?

Well, the deal with 3 UK has just been confirmed and, later this year, it will bring phones bundled with Spotify’s music service.

Pricing details have not been unveiled. However, we do know that 3 UK’s first phone to feature a Spotify app should be the Android-powered HTC Hero, planned to be launched before Christmas.

3 UK also offers Nokia’s Comes With Music service, so it will be interesting to see which of the two services will be more popular.

Via new media age

• Spotify phones to come from Telia; the UK might get them too
• 3 / INQ owner invests in Spotify
• HTC Dream with Google Android to be released in the UK before Christmas
• Former Yahoo exec promises Spotify for mobiles
• Nokia CWM has slightly over 100K users after one year

Since the Tattoo is HTC’s first Android smartphone to come with removable covers, customers have the freedom to make it look the way they want. By visiting the new service’s official website, you can either choose from pre-made designs that cost €11.99, or make your own design for €14.99.

At the moment, TattooMyHTC is available only for the HTC Tattoo, but more devices might be added later (assuming that HTC intros new handsets with changeable covers).

The HTC Tattoo should be available around Europe as of now, so we’ll probably see a lot of units having unique designs – literally.

Via the::unwired

• HTC Tattoo (Click) announced, ships in October
• HTC Hero and HTC Tattoo launched in Australia
• Slanting Cradles Coming to Samsung Phones and Media Players
• LG Application Store launched in Asia, only for Windows Mobile
• KDDI Hitachi W61H comes with e-ink display

Well, it looks like British customers will be able to buy the HD2 starting November 11 – according to Clove, this is the date when the unlocked HTC HD2 will hit the UK for £469 excluding VAT (about €500 or $740).

Of course, the HD2 will be offered by at least one major UK carrier as well (most probably O2), but it’s not clear yet when this should happen.

The HD2 seems to be HTC’s most well-featured smartphone ever. It’s powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and features: Windows Mobile 6.5, a 4.3 inch WVGA touchscreen display, quad-band GSM and dual-band HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS, Facebook and Twitter integration, 3.5mm headset jack, 448MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM, MicroSD card support, and a 1230 mAh battery.

• HTC Leo specs unveiled – Snapdragon chipset included
• Samsung B5722 and C6112 dual SIM phones show up
• LG GM310 music slider shows up, together with LG GB250, GB220, GB130 and GB102
• Acer M900, F900, X960 and DX900 officially announced
• Interesting Philips C600 and W186 unveiled

However, everyone believes that one of them is the Motorola Droid / Tao / Sholes.

But what about the other ones? Well, Verizon has published a photo with two of its officials holding two Android devices. On the right, it looks like we have the Moto Sholes, while one the left – surprise – is an HTC smartphone that looks a bit like Sprint’s HTC Hero.

BGR says that the Hero is confirmed for Verizon and it should come sometime in November, although it may have a different name. HTC Predator, perhaps? We’ll find out soon. Until then, one thing’s certain: Verizon is taking Android seriously.

• Verizon’s HTC Desire shows up in the… dark
• AT&T rejected Motorola Android phones for being “out of date”?
• Verizon readying WM 6.5 HTC Imagio and Android HTC Predator for next month
• Verizon and Google officially promise several Android phones
• Verizon to sell the Palm Pre, Android phones, new BlackBerries

Presented as the first Windows phone with HTC Sense (the UI that’s also used on the Android-powered HTC Hero), the HTC HD2 obviously comes to replace the 2008 HTC HD.

HTC hasn’t confirmed all the specs of HD2 yet, but it did say that the smartphone comes with: a 4.3 inch capacitive WVGA touchscreen display, Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU at 1Ghz, Microsoft Exchange, proximity sensor, light sensor, Wi-Fi, 5MP photo camera, and HTC Peep – a new Windows-based version of HTC’s Twitter application.

Customers will be able to buy an optional car kit, which “automatically transforms HD2s user interface into a finger friendly in-car navigation experience for driving.”

HTC HD2 will be first available via Orange France, starting the next few weeks. By the end of October, the smartphone will reach other European markets too.

HTC didn’t announce the price of HD2.

Via Press release

• HTC HD2 to hit the UK on November 11, unlocked
• Windows Mobile 6.5 and MyPhone video demo and pics
• HTC Hero costs €99 in Spain with an Orange contract
• Audio Notes Touch for Windows Mobile
• Orange UK launches business homescreen for Samsung Omnia Pro B7330, sells 30K iPhones

The HTC Pure (AT&T’s version of the Touch Diamond2) was already spotted in some AT&T stores – and Mobility Digest has live photos of it.

Like the original Diamond2, HTC Pure should come with nice features like: a WVGA touchscreen display, TouchFlo 3D, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 5MP camera with autofocus.

Rumors have it that AT&T will sell the HTC Pure for $149.99 on contract – not a bad price, that’s for sure, especially since Verizon’s HTC Imagio will cost $200.

Via WMPoweruser

• Verizon’s HTC Imagio XV6975 in new photos
• Verizon Touch Diamond Confirmed for Release Tomorrow
• Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 leaked; HTC Mega and Tachi also show up
• Verizon readying WM 6.5 HTC Imagio and Android HTC Predator for next month
• AT&T’s HTC Pure shows up, might cost $149.99 on contract

Previously known as HTC Leo, the unannounced smartphone is called HTC Touch HD2 by T-Mobile.

As you may already know, the HD2 will be one of the nicest Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets around, featuring a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4.3 WVGA touchscreen display, and a 5MP camera with flash.

The price and release date of T-Mobile’s HTC HD2 are not known at the moment.

T-Mobile should launch the mid-end HTC Touch2 too (which will also come with Windows Mobile 6.5), although it’s not clear yet when exactly.

Via Cool Smartphone

• HTC Touch Pro 2 and Samsung C6625v coming to Vodafone UK
• Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 leaked; HTC Mega and Tachi also show up
• Sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 / Rhodium to come in June; live pics leaked
• Unlocked HTC Touch Pro2 available in the UK
• HTC Leo specs unveiled – Snapdragon chipset included

The most important new phone is, of course, the HTC Imagio, which is actually a smartphone that will come with Windows Mobile 6.5.

Verizon will sell the Imagio online starting October 6, and in retail locations starting October 20. The handset’s price is of $199.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $100 rebate.

For that money, you get the following features: 3.6 inch WVGA touchscreen display, TouchFlo 3D, HSDPA and EV-DO Rev. A connectivity, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm headset jack, 5MP autofocus camera, and V CAST Mobile TV (this service costs $15 per month).

Next we have the Nokia 2705 Shade, a clamshell touted as “one of the smallest phones to be offered by Verizon.”

Nokia 2705 Shade has internal and external displays, 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth, micro USB and a battery that can provide a talk-time of up to 5 hours. The phone will be available on October 6, in two versions (with or without camera), and users will be able to buy Xpress-on color covers for it. As for the price, Verizon asks only $29.99 for the 2705 Shade (with a 2-yr agreement).

The third new phone from Verizon, Motorola Barrage V860, is also a clamshell – but a rugged one that’s shock, vibration, water and humidity resistant.

The features of Motorola Barrage include: push-to-talk, VZ Navigator, 2MP camera and a 1170 mAh battery. The Barrage is available at Verizon starting today, for $129.99 with a 2-yr agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate. There will also be a cameraless version, launched on October 21.

Verizon Razzle is the fourth new phone. As previously reported, this is a candybar with a QWERTY keyboard that swivels to unveil dedicated music controls. Other features include a 2.2 inch QVGA display, VZ Navigator, Bluetooth, 1.3MP camera and a 1GB card.

Verizon Razzle costs $69.99 on contract. It will be available starting October 6.

And finally we have the Gateway LT2016u – a new netbook with Windows XP, 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, 10.1-inch WSVGA display, Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 1GB DDR2, and a 160GB hard drive.

Verizon will offer the Gateway LT2016u netbook starting October 4, for $149.99 with a 2-yr agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Via Mobile Burn

• Nokia 6350 announced by AT&T, only $29.99
• Verizon’s Pantech Razzle TXT8030 in official photos
• Best Buy pre-selling Motorola Droid on October 29, no mail-in rebate
• Verizon’s Motorola Rival A455 and Casio Exilim C721 coming on June 10
• Verizon announces the HTC Ozone; only $49.99 starting June 29

A leaked page from an O2 UK catalaog is suggesting that the carrier is really close to launching the HTC HD2 (it should happen in October) and that it’s presenting it as having “the largest screen yet on a mobile” – the 4.3 inch WVGA display pretty much validates this statement.

As previously reported, the new smartphone will also feature a 5MP autofocus camera and a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Of course, the HD2 / Leo is still not officially announced, so we don’t know its exact release date or price at the moment.

Via Engadget

• HTC HD2 and Touch2 coming to T-Mobile Europe
• Acer F1 coming on October 6 for under $500?
• HTC Leo shows up in new photos – looks awesome
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X3 Rachael teaser video shows up
• Toshiba TG01 exclusively from O2 in Germany

The Imagio XV6975 should be launched by Verizon in the first half of October (presumably on October 6), coming with Windows Mobile 6.5 and other really nice features.

Reportedly, the unannounced smartphone has a 3.6 inch WVGA touchscreen display, global connectivity (CDMA and GSM), TouchFlo 3D, Wi-Fi, VCast MobileTV, 3.5mm headset jack, 5MP camera with autofocus, and a 528MHz processor.

No word yet on the price of Verizon’s HTC Imagio XV6975.

Via Phone Arena

• Verizon readying WM 6.5 HTC Imagio and Android HTC Predator for next month
• Verizon announces HTC Imagio, Nokia 2705 Shade, Motorola Barrage and more
• Unannounced HTC Pure appears in AT&T’s stores
• Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 leaked; HTC Mega and Tachi also show up
• Pink LG Arena, Samsung Toco Lite for the UK

However, the Taiwanese handset maker is apparently looking to add Broadcom to its list of 3.5G chipset suppliers.

According to DigiTimes, HTC may adopt Broadcom’s cost-effective dual-core CPU solutions. This move would allow the company to launch more mid to entry-level smartphones (like the HTC Touch2 and HTC Tattoo).

Taiwanese sources also note that HTC is already developing devices based on Nvidia Tegra and on 3.5G chips from ST-Ericsson – although there’s no word yet on when the first such device will be commercialized.

• Nvidia Tegra-based smartphone coming in Q4 2009?
• HTC prepares about 10 new handsets for 2009
• nVidia Tegra system-on-a-chip solution for MIDs
• 12 new NVIDIA Tegra devices announced at Computex
• Sony Ericsson smartbook reportedly coming soon

By accessing Sprint’s Android Developer web page, you’ll be able to find info about the carrier’s Android products and – more importantly – to create and test Android applications.

The Sprint Open Developer Conference held between October 26 and 28 in Santa Clara, California, will include Android-dedicated sessions that will bring more info from Google and HTC. Interested developers can register here.

The HTC Hero will be on sale at Sprint starting October 11, for as low as $179.99 on contract. Another Android smartphone that Sprint will probably release this year is the Samsung InstinctQ M900, which was just approved by the FCC.

Via Press release

• Sprint intros the Android HTC Hero – available starting October 11
• CDMA HTC Hero approved by FCC – Sprint launch imminent?
• HTC Tattoo (Click) announced, ships in October
• Sprint readies lots of HTC Android phones, BlackBerries, WiMax phones and more
• Samsung Moment (InstinctQ) with Android announced by Sprint

AT&T hasn’t officially announced the Pure, but images of it have recently been spotted over at HTCpedia.

The Windows Mobile smartphone appears dressed in two cases, but we can still see that its design is slightly different than the one of Touch Diamond2. No details about the specs yet, although a 5MP camera is definitely in there.

HTC Pure may be sold by AT&T for $149.99 (with a 2-yr contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate), or for $349.99 free of contract. As for its release date, the HTC Pure will probably hit AT&T in the next few months.

• Tilt2, HTC Pure Now Official on AT&T
• Verizon Touch Diamond Confirmed for Release Tomorrow
• Unannounced HTC Pure appears in AT&T’s stores
• Sprint officially launches the HTC Touch Pro. October 26 will see it in stores
• Verizon Touch Diamond Geared for April 10 Release

According to BGR, HTC Imagio features a 3.6 inch WVGA touchscreen display, GPS, 5MP camera with autofocus, 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB ROM, 256MB RAM and global connectivity (CDMA/EV-DO and GSM).

Verizon’s HTC Imagio / Whitestone should look like this (image via WMExperts):

Windows Mobile aside, Verizon is also getting ready to release an Android smartphone in October: it’s the HTC Predator, of which we know little about.

The Predator might be the HTC PR17 recently approved by the Bluetooth SIG as an Android phone featuring Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP.

• Verizon’s HTC Imagio XV6975 in new photos
• HTC Whitestone to hit Verizon as XV6975, Touch Pro2 as XV6875
• Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 leaked; HTC Mega and Tachi also show up
• HTC XV6175 for Verizon to have GSM and CDMA connectivity?
• Verizon announces HTC Imagio, Nokia 2705 Shade, Motorola Barrage and more

Found over at PDAclub.pl via PDA.pl, the new photos confirm not only the existence of HTC Leo, but also some of its impressive specs.

For example, the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 handset does indeed have a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, as well as a huge 480 x 800 pixels touchscreen display, 320MB RAM, 512MB of flash memory, and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR.

The HTC Leo appears next to the HTC Touch Pro2. On its back, we can see a “HTC PRO.THREE” inscription, which might mean that HTC will release the handset as Touch Pro3 – although it’s a bit weird for a Touch Pro device to come without a hardware QWERTY keyboard.

There’s still no official word on when HTC will announce the Leo (Touch Pro3), but that day shouldn’t be too far now.

• Nokia 6208 Classic has a touchscreen and an alphanumeric keypad
• LG Monaco, HTC Warhawk and Touch Pro2 leaked in Sprint document
• HTC Touch Pro2 details appear at Sprint’s website
• Nokia Wahoo for AT&T leaked: a flip phone with a semi-QWERTY keyboard
• Motorola i465 mixes iDEN technology with a QWERTY keyboard

Already available from Sprint and T-Mobile, the HTC Touch Pro2 is a high-end Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone that comes with a 3.6 inch WVGA touchscreen display, TouchFLO 3D UI, full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.2MP autofocus camera, 512MB ROM and 288MB RAM.

Verizon’s Touch Pro2 also has EV-DO and global connectivity (GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and WCDMA/HSPA 2100 MHz).

Surprisingly, Verizon sells the HTC Touch Pro2 for only $199.99 on contract – much less than what Sprint and T-Mo are asking for the smartphone ($350). The Touch Pro2 will be available from Verizon starting September 11.

Unlike HTC Touch Pro2, Nokia 7705 Twist doesn’t seem to be a smartphone – so it probably uses Nokia’s S40 UI.

The 7705 Twist has a square-ish design, a swiveling QWERTY keyboard and a Contact Light Ring that “can be customized to identify a message or a call from those listed in the contact directory.”

The phone’s other features include EV-DO Rev. 0 connectivity, a 2.4 inch QVGA TFT screen, shortcut buttons for quick access to messaging, HTML browser, 3MP autofocus camera, “built-in mirror” and a 2.5mm headset jack.

Nokia 7705 Twist will be available online starting September 13, and in Verizon’s retail stores on September 21. The phone is priced at $99.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement.

Via Verizon, here and here

• Nokia Twist Coming to Verizon Sept 13
• LG Monaco, HTC Warhawk and Touch Pro2 leaked in Sprint document
• HTC Touch Pro, Samsung Omnia and others confirmed for Verizon, pics leaked
• Sprint officially launches the HTC Touch Pro. October 26 will see it in stores
• Samsung U960 Rogue and U450 Intensity coming to Verizon on September 8

The Hero is the second Android device to be available to Indian customers, after the HTC Magic, released earlier this summer.

Unlike the Magic, HTC Hero comes with HTC’s new Sense UI, which lets users customize the phone’s software.

The new device also features access to Android Market, a 320 x 480 pixels capacitive touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, GPS, 5MP autofocus camera, 3.5mm headset jack, and MicroSD card slot.

HTC Hero’s price is of 34,600 INR ($714) in Maharashtra, and 31,990 ($660) in India’s other states. Airtel’s customers who buy the Hero will get 100MB of free monthly data downloads for 6 months.

Another Android smartphone that will probably be available this year in India is the HTC Tattoo, announced by the Taiwanese handset maker just hours ago.

Via Press release

• Bharti Airtel launches the HTC Magic – India’s first Android phone
• HTC Hero costs €99 in Spain with an Orange contract
• HTC Hero live pics leaked
• HTC Hero and HTC Sense now official (update, video included)
• HTC Hero in live pictures; the first review already published

The Tattoo is a small handset that should “bring Android to all”. It’s the fourth HTC device to run on Android.

Like the HTC Hero, Tattoo comes with HTC Sense, which includes Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected – features that allow users to easily personalize the phone’s content. The new smartphone also comes with various unique covers that “people are able to design and purchase”.

Here are the full specs of HTC Tattoo:

• 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen display
• Accelerometer
• Quad-band GSM and dual-band HSDPA connectivity
• GPS
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Google Maps, Google Mail, Google search
• 3.2MP camera with autofocus
• 3.5mm headset jack
• MicroSD card support
• 512MB ROM and 256MB RAM
• Qualcomm MSM7225 processor at 528MHz

HTC Tattoo will be available in Europe starting early October. In the following months, the smartphone will be launched in other markets around the world. The price of HTC Tattoo was not announced, but it should be $300 – more or less.

Via Press release

• HTC Leo specs unveiled – Snapdragon chipset included
• HTC Hero and HTC Tattoo launched in Australia
• Acer F1 coming on October 6 for under $500?
• LG GW620 (Etna) with Android officially announced
• Acer A1 with Android 2.0 on pre-order

As reported two days ago, Sprint’s CDMA HTC Hero looks totally different from the GSM version of the handset that can already be bought in Europe.

The Hero will be available from Sprint starting October 11, coming as the carrier’s first Android smartphone.

The best part: Sprint will sell the smartphone for $179.99 (excluding taxes), with a 2-yr agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate plus $50 instant savings. Much cheaper than the HTC Touch Pro2 (which is priced at $350 on contract).

Here are the highlights of Sprint’s HTC Hero:

• EV-DO rev A connectivity
• 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 320 x 480 pixels
• Accelerometer and light sensor
• Home screen widgets
• Integrated Google services: Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube
• GPS with Sprint Navigation
• HTC Footprints
• Digital Compass
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.0
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Sprint TV with live and on-demand programming
• Quick access to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr
• Visual voice mail
• 5MP camera
• MicroSD card slot – 2GB card included
• 1,500 mAh battery for up to 4 hours of talk-time

All in all, the HTC Hero is a really nice smartphone that will probably be very successful among Sprint’s customers – especially since it’s the first Android device that they can buy.

Via Sprint

• Samsung Moment (InstinctQ) with Android announced by Sprint
• HTC Hero live pics leaked
• Sprint launches Android developer website
• HTC Hero with Android to be exclusively sold by Orange
• HTC Tattoo (Click) announced, ships in October

The official name of the new smartphone is HTC Touch2. It’s the first Windows Mobile 6.5 handset to be officially unveiled by HTC.

Among the known features of HTC Touch2, we must mention: TouchFlo 3D, Microsoft Exchange, Google Maps, “redesigned Internet Explorer”, Flash support, and YouTube access. The smartphone will also come with Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone.

HTC Touch2 will be available starting October 6 (like many other Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones). Its price was not unveiled – but it should be around $300.

Via HTC

• Windows Marketplace opens for submissions on July 27; WM 6.0 and 6.1 will be supported
• Microsoft is negotiating carrier-branded versions of Windows Marketplace
• Windows Mobile 7’s Internet Explorer could use open-source WebKit
• More details on Windows Mobile Marketplace’s Phase 2
• Microsoft announces huge list of Windows Mobile 6.5 phones, HTC HD2 included

Surprisingly, the CDMA Hero looks quite different than the GSM version – assuming that these photos do show the Hero, and not just a Chinese fake or something like that.

The first thing you notice is that the Android chin is completely missing. Also, the CDMA Hero resembles the HTC Magic rather than the GSM Hero.

The smartphone should feature, among other things, a 528MHz Qualcomm CPU, 512MB ROM, 288MB RAM, and a 5MP autofocus camera.

Rumor has it that Sprint will launch the CDMA HTC Hero in the US – but there aren’t any clear details about when this will happen.

Via Engadget

• HTC Hero approved by FCC, AT&T 3G bands included
• HTC Hero in live pictures; the first review already published
• CDMA HTC Hero approved by FCC – Sprint launch imminent?
• Sprint’s Samsung InstinctQ shows up in live photos
• HTC Hero and HTC Sense now official (update, video included)

The high-end Windows Mobile 6.1 device will be available for purchase starting September 8. And now comes the bad news: Sprint will sell the Touch Pro2 for $349.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

That’s $50 over the price of the original Touch Pro, and $150 over the price of most new high-end smartphones found in the US at the moment – including the Palm Pre and AT&T’s iPhone 3GS 16GB.

Well, at least the Touch Pro2 offers anything you’d want to have in a smartphone, including: a 3.6 inches WVGA touchscreen display, full QWERTY keyboard, 3G (EVDO Rev. A), Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, 3.2MP camera, and microSD card support.

And if it makes you feel better, T-Mobile USA offers the Touch Pro2 for the same price on contract.

Seeing how things are going, Verizon’s and AT&T’s Touch Pro2s will probably be expensive, too.

Via Sprint, Engadget

• Sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 / Rhodium to come in June; live pics leaked
• Sprint officially launches the HTC Touch Pro. October 26 will see it in stores
• Verizon announces the HTC Touch Pro2, Nokia 7705 Twist
• HTC Touch Pro2 officially announced by T-Mobile USA
• LG Monaco, HTC Warhawk and Touch Pro2 leaked in Sprint document

Sprint’s Touch Pro2 will have both EVDO and HSPA connectivity, plus Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, a 480 x 800 pixels touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, Sprint TV, a 3.2MP camera, and MicroSD card support.

The smartphone’s price on contract is still unknown.

The document also details the Verizon’s and AT&T’s Touch Pro2 (which have features similar to Sprint’s device), but without saying when they will be available.

T-Mobile is the only US carrier that currently sells the HTC Touch Pro2.

HTC Warhawk for AT&T is another smartphone that appears in the leaked document. The Warhawk is an upgraded version of the Touch Diamond2, coming with Windows Mobile 6.5, a 480 x 800 pixels touchscreen display, Wi-Fi and a 5MP camera.

Moving on, we have some info on AT&T’s LG Monaco. The WM handset has a 480 x 800 pixels display, Wi-Fi, full QWERTY keyboard, and a 5MP camera. AT&T should release it in September.

And finally, Verizon’s Samsung Omnia II is also detailed. The smartphone will come with WM 6.1 and 8GB of internal memory, sometime in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Via Sprint Users and WMPoweruser

• Sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 / Rhodium to come in June; live pics leaked
• HTC Touch Pro2 details appear at Sprint’s website
• Sprint makes the HTC Touch Pro2 officially expensive
• LG Monaco (Pico) to hit AT&T with Windows Mobile 7 on board?
• Sprint officially launches the HTC Touch Pro. October 26 will see it in stores

Apparently, the new smartphone will be sold under HTC’s Dopod brand, as T8388.

Design-wise, the HTC Qilin / Dopod T8388 resembles the Touch Pro2.

However, the Chinese smartphone does not have a QWERTY keyboard, so it’s a touchscreen-only device.

The features of HTC Qilin include:

• 3.6 inch touchscreen display with 480 x 800 pixels
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• CMMB mobile TV
• 5MP camera with autofocus
• VGA front camera
• 600MHz TI OMAP 3430 processor
• 512MB ROM, 256MB RAM

Seeing these specs, it’s no wonder that the Qilin will be launched by China Mobile as a flagship phone, sometime in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Via WMPoweruser and Marbridge Consulting

• Motorola MT710 oPhone is like a keyboard-less Droid for China
• Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 leaked; HTC Mega and Tachi also show up
• Samsung Omnia II i8180 headed to China Mobile
• Nokia and Motorola have 90% of the Chinese smartphone market
• ASUS P560 launching next month with Windows Mobile 6.1

Moreover, the new image presents us the Mega running Windows Mobile 6.5, thus confirming the fact that it will come with Microsoft’s latest mobile OS (which is obviously a good thing).

Part of HTC’s mid-range line-up of smartphones, the Mega uses the TouchFlo UI to make WM look better. However, it’s not TouchFlo 3D, but TouchFlo 2D.

According to the ai.rs blog, the “official” specs of HTC Mega include:

• Quad-band GSM connectivity
• Dual-band HSDPA (900/2100 MHz)
• 2.8 inch touchscreen display with 240 x 320 pixels
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
• 3.2MP camera
• MicroSD card support
• 256MB ROM, 256MB RAM
• Qualcomm MSM7225 CPU at 528MHz
• 104 x 55 x 12.8 millimeters

As previously reported, HTC Mega should be launched in the next few months, coming at a price of around $300.

• HTC Touch HD and HTC Touch 3G officially break cover
• LG GM310 music slider shows up, together with LG GB250, GB220, GB130 and GB102
• HTC Leo specs unveiled – Snapdragon chipset included
• LG GW620 (Etna) with Android officially announced
• 8 new Samsung phones leaked – S5050, C5212, S3310 and E2210 included

The Click is shown next to the HTC Magic, which is slightly bigger and thus has a larger display.

As you probably already know, Click is one of HTC’s upcoming cheap Android smartphones. It will cost about $300 free of contract – so it’s even cheaper than the Huawei T-Mobile Pulse.

The known features of HTC Click include a 3.5mm headset jack, MicroSD card support, a photo camera and a 1,100 mAh battery.

Anyway, the video preview is just below. Before watching it, you should know that the guy presenting the phone has 6 fingers on his right hand (a medical condition called polydactyly).

A set of high-quality photos with the HTC Click has also appeared at Tinhte (the same website that published the video on YouTube):

We still don’t know when exactly HTC will announce the Click, but this should happen in the next few months.

Via SlashGear

• Samsung i5700 Galaxy Lite in live photos, video
• HTC Click Android smartphone in live pictures
• New HTC Android phone leaked, might be the Dragon
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) video preview shows up
• Sony Ericsson Rachael X3/X10’s UI demoed on video again

The FCC has just approved the “HTC HERO200”, which has both CDMA/EV-DO and GSM connectivity, so it’s highly probable that this is the Hero which will come to Sprint in the near future (or maybe to Verizon? hard to believe).

So it looks like Sprint will soon have two Android smartphones – the Hero and the QWERTY-equipped Samsung InstinctQ.

Interestingly, last month the FCC has also approved the HTC HERO130, which features AT&T 3G connectivity. Could it be that both AT&T and Sprint will release the Hero? Let’s wait and see.

• Sprint’s Samsung InstinctQ shows up in live photos
• Samsung InstinctQ M900 passes the FCC; Sprint release imminent?
• HTC Hero approved by FCC, AT&T 3G bands included
• Sprint launches Android developer website
• Sprint’s Samsung M850 Dash approved by the FCC

Being part of HTC’s upcoming mid-range line-up, both devices will have attractive prices: according to DigiTimes, you’ll have to pay about $300 for either of the handsets.

As previously reported, HTC Mega will feature Windows Mobile 6.5, GSM and HSDPA connectivity, GPS, 3MP camera, and a 2.8 inch QVGA display.

(image via WMExperts)

Unlike the Mega, HTC Click is an Android smartphone.

(image via PointGPhone)

The features of HTC Click are not known at the moment.

After launching the Mega and Click, HTC expects its handset shipments to grow 19%.

• Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 leaked; HTC Mega and Tachi also show up
• HTC Click Android smartphone in live pictures
• HTC Mega shows up again, Windows Mobile 6.5 confirmed
• Nokia E71-like LG GW550 WM smartphone shows up
• Huawei Android handsets to be launched via T-Mobile, TIM Brazil

The handset is only 11m thin, and, as you may already know, it uses a 1Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM 8250 processor.

Most of the previously-leaked specs seem to be confirmed: 4.3 inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 5MP autofocus camera with flash, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 3.5mm headset jack.

It’s said that the HTC Leo will hit the market as soon as October this year, but, without an official confirmation, we can’t be sure about this.

Via ai.rs blog

• HTC Leo specs unveiled – Snapdragon chipset included
• The first HTC Leo picture (apparently) leaked
• Verizon’s HTC Imagio XV6975 in new photos
• HTC HD2 starts shipping in Europe and Asia, will hit the US in 2010
• Samsung Galaxy Lite i5700 delayed until 2010?

August has come and, surprise, HTC has sold more than 1 million Android Magic phones worldwide – since April 2009, when the Magic (pictured below) was first launched through Vodafone.

In addition to announcing this, HTC has also unveiled that it wants to focus on mid-end smartphones for the rest of the year. According to Peter Chou, mid-end handsets will account for about 50-60% of the company’s shipments in the second half of 2009.

Said mid-end smartphones should have a retail price of about $300. Most probably, the Android-powered HTC Click will be among these upcoming devices.

Via DigiTimes

• HTC plans to sell 1 million Magic phones by August
• HTC to conquer China with its Android Magic smartphone
• HTC expects to ship 1 million G1’s and 3 million Touch Diamonds
• Samsung to increase phone sales by 20% in 2010 (to 270 million units)
• HTC Dream and HTC Magic announced by Rogers for Canada

A rendering of it has just appeared over at HTCpedia, and, if this is indeed what the handset looks like, then HTC did a fine job designing it.

Sure, there’s nothing spectacular about its look.

But then again, many phones with a simple design are considered beautiful – take Apple’s iPhone for example.

Once again, it’s said that the specs of HTC Leo include:

• Snapdragon MSM 8250 CPU at 1Ghz
• 4.3 inch capacitive touchscreen display with 480 x 800 pixels
• Accelerometer, motion sensor and light sensor
• HSDPA
• Wi-Fi
• A-GPS
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 512MB ROM, 320MB RAM
• 8MP autofocus camera
• MicroSD card slot

HTC is silent for now regarding the existence of Leo, but we should hope that the smartphone will be announced later this year.

Via WMPoweruser

• Palm announces the webOS platform and the good-looking Palm Pre smartphone
• HTC Leo shows up in new photos – looks awesome
• HTC Leo specs unveiled – Snapdragon chipset included
• Acer F1 coming on October 6 for under $500?
• LG GW600 smartphone for AT&T approved by the FCC

We’ve seen Verizon’s Touch Pro2 back in May, and now it’s time to take a looks at its Touch Diamond2, also known as HTC Whitestone or XV6975.

Appeared over at WMExperts, this below is the first clear rendering of Verizon’s Diamond2. I’m a bit surprised that it looks quite different from the European version of the handset:

It’s said that the features of the Verizon Diamond2 include:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 (most probably upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5)
• GSM and CDMA connectivity
• 3.6 inch WVGA touchscreen display
• GPS and A-GPS
• 5MP camera with autofocus
• Qualcomm 7600 processor at 528MHz
• 512MB ROM and 256MB RAM

The release date of Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 is believed to be around September / October.

Another HTC smartphone unveiled by WMExperts is the HTC Mega:

The HTC Mega should come with these features:

• Windows Mobile 6.5 and TouchFlo 2D
• GSM and HSDPA connectivity
• 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen display
• GPS
• 3MP camera
• Qualcomm 7225 CPU at 528MHz
• 256MB ROM and 256MB RAM

No word yet on when HTC intends to launch the Mega.

The third Windows Mobile smartphone appeared today is the HTC Tachi:

HTC Tachi will be sold in Asia (China, more exactly, via China Telecom), under the Dopod brand.

• Verizon readying WM 6.5 HTC Imagio and Android HTC Predator for next month
• HTC Mega and Click coming in a few months for about $300 each
• More details on HTC Whitestone, Firestone, Thoth and others
• HTC Mega shows up again, Windows Mobile 6.5 confirmed
• LG Monaco, HTC Warhawk and Touch Pro2 leaked in Sprint document

Some of its specs have appeared at Sprint’s official website, so we can hope that it won’t be long until the smartphone is launched.

As expected, Sprint’s Touch Pro2 is not too different from T-Mobile’s one, and neither from the European version.

Also known as HTC Rhodium, the Windows Mobile 6.1 handset comes with a 480 x 800 pixels touchscreen display, sliding QWERTY keyboard, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.2MP camera, and “international quadband” – meaning that it has both GSM and CDMA connectivity.

No word yet about the price of HTC Touch Pro2 from Sprint. However, you should know that the carrier is currently selling the first-generation Touch Pro for $299 on contract.

• LG Monaco, HTC Warhawk and Touch Pro2 leaked in Sprint document
• Sprint officially launches the HTC Touch Pro. October 26 will see it in stores
• Sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 / Rhodium to come in June; live pics leaked
• Sprint 2009 roadmap leaked: HTC Rhodium, HTC Cedar, Samsung Dash, BlackBerry Niagara and 8 others
• Sprint makes the HTC Touch Pro2 officially expensive

T-Mobile UK offers the G2 Touch even for free, but only with an 18-month contract agreement and a monthly plan of at least £35.

Although the Hero is HTC’s third Android phone, it’s only the second one to be launched by T-Mo UK.

I’m sure you already know the main features of HTC Hero / T-Mobile G2 Touch, but just in case you’ve missed them, here they are:

• 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen display
• Android OS 1.5
• GPS
• Wi-Fi
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 5MP camera with autofocus

If you’re in the UK, you can buy the T-Mobile G2 Touch from here.

HTC Hero may reach the US too, possibly via Sprint and AT&T, but there are no clear details about this at the moment.

• Samsung Moment and Sanyo SCP-3810 now available at Sprint
• Verizon announces the HTC Droid Eris, launches the LG Chocolate Touch
• HTC Hero with Android to be exclusively sold by Orange
• HTC to put 3.5mm jacks in most of its phones
• Sprint intros the Android HTC Hero – available starting October 11

Obviously coming as the successor of HTC Touch Pro, the Touch Pro2 can already be bought in Europe and Asia.

The Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone has many advanced features, including: a 3.6 inch WVGA tilting touchscreen display, 3G GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.2MP camera and, of course, a full QWERTY keyboard.

T-Mobile USA’s Touch Pro2 will be available in only one color version, and that’s mocha. Unfortunately, the price was not disclosed.

AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are planning to offer the HTC Touch Pro2 as well, but probably after August 12 (none of the carriers have announced the smartphone yet).

Via Press release

• HTC S740 announced for the US as HTC S743
• LG announces three Windows Mobile 6.5 phones, GW550 included
• HTC Touch HD with full QWERTY keyboard to be named HTC Touch HD Pro?
• RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 now official
• T-Mobile’s Samsung Behold and Samsung Gravity now official

Still, Orange will be the first British mobile operator to release the HTC Hero (since T-Mobile has still not announced when its Hero will be available).

Officially unveiled by HTC one month ago, the Hero is the company’s third Android handset. Its features include a 3.2 inch, 320 x 480 pixels touchscreen display, HTC Sense UI, HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 5MP autofocus camera.

Orange UK will offer the HTC Hero in an exclusive graphite color version, for free on select plans.

Via Twitter

• HTC Hero costs €99 in Spain with an Orange contract
• HTC Hero and HTC Sense now official (update, video included)
• Orange UK exclusively launches the Toshiba TG01, free on select plans
• Pink HTC Hero to be available in the UK this month
• HTC Hero and HTC Tattoo launched in Australia

As mentioned before, HTC Click will be a low-cost Android smartphone.

Two live pictures of it have appeared at the French website PointGPhone, so we can see that the Click looks like a smaller HTC Magic (already available for purchase in Europe).

Most of the features included by HTC into the Click are not known, but it seems that the smartphone has a 3.5mm headset jack and a photo camera (well, that’s not a surprise).

Details about the release date and price of HTC Click are not available, but they’ll probably appear soon.

Via Engadget

• 6-fingered man demos the HTC Click and Android Donut on video
• HTC Tattoo (Click) announced, ships in October
• HTC Hero announced for India – the country’s second Android phone
• HTC’s T-Mobile G2 to be launched as HTC Magic by Vodafone
• T-Mobile Pulse (Huawei U8220) to come in October for only €260

While this release date is not confirmed, it looks like the Whitestone will indeed be launched by Verizon – with the model name XV6975.

According to the XV6975 user agent profile, the handset features a 800 x 480 pixels display and it has no physical keyboard – exactly like the Whitestone.

The HTC Whitestone / XV6975 should also feature HSDPA connectivity, a 5MP camera and Windows Mobile (6.1 or 6.5).

Verizon will probably launch the Whitestone / XV6975 before the year’s end. The carrier will also release the HTC Touch Pro2 sometime later this year, apparently as XV6875.

Via Tweakers.net and Engadget

• More details on HTC Whitestone, Firestone, Thoth and others
• Verizon’s Touch Diamond2 leaked; HTC Mega and Tachi also show up
• Verizon readying WM 6.5 HTC Imagio and Android HTC Predator for next month
• Sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 / Rhodium to come in June; live pics leaked
• HTC Touch Pro, Samsung Omnia and others confirmed for Verizon, pics leaked

We don’t know if this is good or bad news, but we do know that the Leo will come with Windows Mobile 6.5 on board.

Moreover, as implied a few days ago, the smartphone will be based on Qualcomm’s 1GHz MSM 8250 Snapdragon chipset.

According to the ai.rs blog, the rest of he specs the HTC Leo has include:

• Quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity
• Dual-band HSDPA connectivity (900/2100 MHz)
• 4.3 inch WVGA (480 x 800) capacitive touchscreen display
• Wi-Fi
• GPS, A-GPS
• Accelerometer
• Light & proximity sensors
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 5MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash
• 512MB flash memory, 320MB RAM
• MicroSD card support
• 1230 mAh battery
• 121 x 67 x 11 millimeters

The release date of HTC Leo is not known at the moment. However, the smartphone might be launched before the year’s end, most probably under a different name – Leo being just a codename.

• Apple’s iPhone 3G has second proximity sensor for improved functionality
• The first HTC Leo picture (apparently) leaked
• Acer F1 coming on October 6 for under $500?
• Official Motorola Verizon Droid specs, site and what not revealed a week early
• HTC HD2 to hit the UK on November 11, unlocked