Mobile Origins

The device was originally named as the HTC Bravo, a flagship handset in a series of Android mobile phones that was originally released in a roadmap. The device was supported by the HTC Legend. While both smart phones reached the production phase, the Bravo took a slight adjustment in details: a name change which was made public when the smart phone first appeared at the Mobile World Congress. Aside from the change in the name, the phone’s hardware features remained the same. The Desire name is now a standard for HTC, with the HTC Desire Z and HTC Desire HD on their way.

Hardware Specifications

In terms of hardware, the HTC Desire is one of the most powerful handsets to have ever been released. In fact, the device matches up to the specs of Google’s Nexus One. With a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display, 5 mega pixel camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 processor, the handset practically set the new basis for what can be considered as a high end device.

Running at 1GHz, the HTC Desire is fast, stable and powerful enough to handle every single existing Android app and feature. In fact, unless the user is running multiple applications, one should expect to have no slowdowns at all when it comes to this handset.

It also runs Android version 2.2 Froyo, which is a significant upgrade over the previous versions of the OS. Thanks to better resource handling, the user interface and web browsing on Froyo is faster and smoother than even before.

So far, the one service that really stands out is the new HTC Sense. Normally, we would give a quick nod of acknowledgment to a custom user interface for looking good and working well. But HTC has taken the notch up a little further.

While it is certainly easy appreciate the new view of the user interface, the real important thing here is the HTC Sense online service. With this, users are going to be able to create online accounts for themselves and their devices that can be used to access, lock and even wipe an Android phone from a remote location.

This is not the first of its’ kind. Apple also features a similar service. What provides HTC with the advantage is the fact that they offer the service free of charge.

Aside from being able to access a smart phone directly, the service can also be used as a cloud storage space for phone stored content such as messages, contact lists and other data.

Several new devices have also been announced, but two main phones are already confirmed to be heading to the UK through Vodafone this coming October. While the HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z are both going to be offered by the network operator, this is not an exclusive deal. It is expected that the devices will also pop up with other network operators as well.

Wrapping up this set of highlights, a quick little teaser straight from HTC: another Android tablet is on the way. So far, the only thing confirmed about the new device is that it will not be supporting voice calls like the Samsung Galaxy Tab –hopefully, the HTC device will also have a lower price tag as well.

Specs wise the smart phone will still have the same basic figures. The 1GHz CPU will keep the handset up and running, and it will use an 8 mega pixel camera. Also, it will have a larger 4.3 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display.

In terms of physical design, the Evo looks a lot like the Desire HD. The sizes of the two points however, is quite the difference since the Evo’s touch screen display is a lot larger than the 3.7 inch AMOLED touch screen display.

So far, HTC has not made a comment on whether the Evo launch is actually true or not, but it is certainly about time that the device made it to UK shores.

In other HTC news, the company is rumored to have plenty of upcoming Android devices. Aside from the Evo/Desire HD, several other smart phones are also coming to the UK. Among these phones are the HTC Vision and the HTC Ace.

The Vision is getting plenty of interest thanks to having a slide out QWERTY keyboard. This is the first HTC device that uses the Android OS which comes with a physical keyboard which makes it a very important device.

Other upcoming devices from the Taiwan based phone maker are the HTC Mondrian and the HTC Mozart. The Mondrian is expected to have a high speed CPU that would enable it to run Windows Phone 7.

Signs of Microsoft powered HTC smart phones were found on the XML data which comes with current company specifications. Specifically, there are two mobile devices which are rumored to run the Windows Phone 7 operating system. The first model is called “Mozart” and the second is named “Mondrian”.

What gave the surprise away is the fact that these two mobile phone lines were found to sport the Microsoft Internet Explorer Mobile 7 which is packed in with the Windows Phone 7 OS. If so, then the duo is likely to have quite a capable hardware setup.

Speaking of hardware, the actual specs are still a mystery for now, though there are speculations as to a few of the items included in the Mondrian and Mozart’s spec list. Apparently, there will be no QWERTY keyboard included with the mobile phones and it will be restricted to touch input only. Both will most probably be Bluetooth ready, so file transfers and headset connections are easy to setup.

Reports say that the Mondrian is quite a powerhouse. It is said to carry a 1.3 GHz Qualcomm processor and a spacious 4.3 inch touch screen. Would be film makers would also enjoy using the HD recording capabilities of the device.

HTC’s goal is quite clear. They look to be after dominating the whole holiday season with both of these Windows Phone 7 devices as well as the HTC Gold model coming in November.

Not surprising, despite news of legal issues being thrown back and forth between HTC and Apple, the smart phone manufacturer has been able to establish itself as an industry leader in the development of the Android smart phone. For one thing, their HTC Desire, Hero end Legend trio are continuously reigning on top of the Android charts –only giving a slight way to the Motorola Milestone when it came out during the holiday season.

Of course, HTC’s strong Android presence is also backed by the fact that they have been part of the development of the OS since the very beginning. HTC is among the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance and has been the manufacturer behind many Android smart phones –including the G1 and even the Google Nexus One.

More than just an Android leader, HTC has also been a prominent figure for Microsoft’s mobile platforms. The HTC HD2 is the best selling Windows Mobile handset and the company is now working on the recently leaked HTC Gold (formerly the Mondrian), a high end WP7 smart phone that is expected to come out later this year.

Speaking of the Gold, the handset has been leaked along with two other HTC devices, the Ace and the Vision. While little is known about the Ace at this point, the HTC Vision will be taking a page out of Motorola’s book by introducing the very first HTC Android that comes with a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

Even though HTC has pushed the update to take place well before the end of this month, it just seems unrealistic, all things considered. All three mobile phone network operators have given word that upgrades to their units will come at a much later date. On the other hand, HTC Hero owners with unlocked units should be able to get their upgrade without a problem, much to the envy of network subscribers.

As it is with any major update, mobile phone operators would need some lead time to conduct tests to ensure network stability. At the very least this is to nip possible problems in the bud if ever unforeseen issues arise.

The most vocal of them all, Three has stated that their update is set to be released around mid to late July. Customers should not get their hopes up too high though because the patch is more likely to go live later as opposed to an early date.

On the other hand, Orange has released a statement that their upgrade will get released in the “very near future”. If this means an end of the month release date, the network operator may be the first of the three to make the switch.

Lastly, T-Mobile UK asked their G2 (HTC Hero variant for the mobile network operator) subscribers to stay tuned for further announcements. No hint of a date was given but hopefully subscribers will get some news before the month ends.

Considering the fact that Google has already released version 2.2. of the ‘Droid, this looks to be a big disappointment for paid subscribers of the three networks.

Sporting the HTC Sense user interface, this Android handset is easy and fun to use. The home screen provides practical daily information and the menus are easy to navigate. The use of integrated apps for accessing sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and more makes the task easier as opposed to having to rely on the browser.

With Android 2.1 Éclair, the phone also brings plenty of Google feature goodies such as Gmail, Google Chat, Google Voice, Google Buzz, Picasa, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Street View, the Goggles augmented reality app and more.

As a handset, the device is pretty much a typical mid range smart phone. The 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen provides clear and crisp images and the touch controls are accurate and responsive. The 5 mega pixel camera is great for taking images with its autofocus and LED flash and will also allow users to geo tag images. The device also records videos but users are best advised to have a microSD card for storing all media content.

The phone’s Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz CPU provides the handset with a pretty good performance when it comes to running apps and basic phone functions.

Overall, the HTC Wildfire is a reliable, social networking handset that is sure to make going online a whole lot more easier for many Android smart phone users. Vodafone has announced that the handset is already available from their stores.

While no specific date has been given, estimates place the launch around or right before the June 23 –which is the announced launch of the Android 2.2 Froyo update for the HTC Desire.

Speaking of the Desire, the high end Android smart phone is actually included in the list of HTC handsets that will be receiving the update. So far, the list contains four smart phones: the HTC Hero, HTC Legend, HTC Desire and the HTC EVO 4G. So far, it has not been confirmed if the HTC Wildfire will be compatible with the software update, but since it already runs version 2.1, it may not need the patch at all.

With version 2.2 already out for the Nexus One and coming soon for the Desire, the move to release version 2.1 on these handsets may seem a little unnecessary, as it would have made more sense to just release a patch for the latest version of the OS instead. With all the new features and capabilities of Android Froyo, many HTC users will certainly feel that they have been left out of the new update.

In many ways, this is one of the main reasons why Google’s Android has yet to beat the iPhone OS. While they are providing Apple with plenty of competition, the compatibility issues and the fact that not all Android phones are running the same version of the OS is a serious issue that Google has to cope with if they are to compete with the iPhone and Windows Phone 7’s performance.

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has always been at the forefront of Android smart phone innovation and the Desire is a testament to that. Originally announced as the HTC Bravo last 2009, this Android device later served as the basis for the Nexus One (the Google branded smart phone that HTC made). This is why the two Android device share similar specifications.

Of course, as with HTC’s other Android devices, they use the HTC Sense custom user interface (as opposed to simply using the Android OS as is). While not necessary, the Sense UI provides a bit of a graphical face-lift to the Android; though some purists still prefer to do without (ironically, there are apps for the Android that emulate the Sense UI for non-HTC devices).

This handset virtually screams high end with its specs. The 5 mega pixel camera provides high quality videos and images that can be displayed on the 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display. With a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, viewing videos and the web in wide screen mode is visually appealing.

As an Android device, the Desire is not lacking with additional features as the large library of apps from the Android Market will give users a wide range of tools and functions that they can add. The device’s 1GHz Snapdragon CPU will take care of any resource extensive app to ensure that phone performance stays smooth and fast.

For those who feel that the HTC Desire is a little too high end for their tastes, the HTC Wildfire has also been released.

The device first appeared last year in the leaked HTC 2010 roadmap that featured the HTC Desire (which was at that name, was still named Bravo) and the HTC Legend. The two devices would once again re-appear in the Mobile World Congress last February, but the other devices in the roadmap were never heard about in any news updates (the Tide, Salsa and Buzz). There are many HTC Desire deals already to be found online.

The HTC Desire is well known for impressive hardware that very closes matches that of the Google Nexus One –this similarity comes as to no surprise as it was HTC that manufactured both devices, and last December, when the Nexus One was still a rumor, the two phones were often mistaken for each other.

Packed with a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, the Desire is fast and powerful enough to handle many of the resource heavy apps as well as the new 2.2 Froyo update that is scheduled to arrive by June 23. With the addition of native Flash and AIR support, there will be plenty of chances for the Desire to show off how smoothly Flash works on an Android handset. This impressive HTC smart phone also comes with a 5 mega pixel camera and a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display.

Speaking of the Desire, it seems that HTC might just be working on a second version of this Android handset and this time, they will be adding in a slide out QWERTY keyboard –making it one of the first Android devices to have a 1GHz CPU and a keyboard. The new device is rumored to be named as the HTC Vision and it is expected to come out later this year.