HTC touts new touchscreen phone

HTC Corp., the nimble, Taiwan-based smartphone maker that is a leading purveyor of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile operating system, announced in London its new HTC Touch, a phone that employs touchscreen technology. The move is notable as Apple Inc.’s iPhone, which also features a touchscreen and similar design, is scheduled to hit store shelves at the end of this month.
HTC said its new phone is available in the United Kingdom now and Europe and Asia later this month. A version for North and Latin America is slated for the second half of the year. No carrier deal or pricing were included in the announcement.
The company said the phone features TouchFLO technology for access to e-mail, messaging and PIM functions. The tri-band phone includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 2.8-inch touchscreen (Apple’s iPhone has a 3.5-inch screen) and 64 megabytes of memory (the $500 iPhone offers 4 gigabytes), expandable to 1 GB with an in-box microSD card. A 2-megapixel camera is included.
Although the iPhone features a much-talked-about touchscreen, those in the mobile industry know that the magic of touchscreen technology is not new or revolutionary. Analysts have pointed to past attempts by the major mobile phone vendors to sell touchscreen technology, particularly the companies with a PDA heritage that focus on the prosumer and enterprise markets.
Aside from HTC’s new gadget, another touchscreen hitting the scene in time to battle the iPhone is the Prada phone by LG Electronics Co. The device offers touchscreen technology and has actually launched in Europe and Asia. According to LG, the phone will come to the United States in the third or fourth quarter, with similar technology, but without the Prada name. The company is not releasing information on the carrier, price or launch date.