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.

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.

Not a whole lot is known about the Nexus phone as it relates to specs. Google has kept that information close to their chest, seemingly wanting to unveil it all at once and at their convenience. That means that the rest of the world simply has to wait. This of course has helped to spawn numerous rumors and conjecture about the handset. The website Gizmodo reported that they have insider information concerning what features the phone will offer excited consumers. We have listed them below.

The phone will reportedly use Snapdragon as a processor. It will use the GSM networks which are compatible with AT&T’s network but not Sprint Nextel or Verizon Wireless. It will have Wi-Fi, a 3.7 inch display (AMOLED) which is a touch screen, a 5 or 6 megapixel camera, Bluetooth and FM radio. It may also finally offer the public a unified designed for the company’s Android line which has failed to exist until perhaps now.

The Google Nexus One looks like it is going to be an excellent phone, and seems to be based quite heavily on (in appearance at least) the HTC Passion. While the official list of specs has yet to be released, there have been rumors and unverified reports concerning what the phone will include. Most notably will be the Nexus One’s use of the Snapdragon processor, 3.7 inch screen and 5 or 6 megapixel camera. The specs are certainly sounding a lot more appetising than the Passion. The official introduction of the phone will be at the Consumer Electronics Show which will be very soon.  The handset has generated a lot of discussion and anticipation. Techies and those who follow such things are extremely excited and the related speculation has been rabid.