New HTC handsets hit Oz - News - Hardware

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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New HTC handsets hit Oz

By Joseph Hanlon, CNET.com.au
June 30, 2009
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/New-HTC-handsets-hit-Oz/0,130061702,339297171,00.htm

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC today announced three new smartphone handsets in Australia, with two exclusively bound for Telstra and one to Optus.

The Touch Pro 2, Touch Diamond 2 and HTC Snap.
(Credit: HTC/CNET Australia)

All three smartphones run Windows Mobile 6.1, though two of them — the Diamond and the Pro — also include HTC's TouchFlo 3D user interface. The Snap is aimed at a lower-cost business market, still benefiting from ActivSync communication with MS Exchange servers, but without some of the extras included in the higher-end Diamond and Pro. The Snap sports a BlackBerry-like form factor with a full-QWERTY keyboard below its display and a centre jogwheel for navigating menus.

The Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2 are both touchscreen devices, with the Touch Pro also making use of a full-QWERTY keyboard hidden under a sliding mechanism. Reminiscent of the TyTn II, the sliding screen on the Touch Pro 2 tilts to a 45-degree angle once opened, helping make the screen more visible when typing. The Diamond 2 builds on the success of the original HTC Touch Diamond released last year, improving on the former's lacklustre processing performance and making use of a larger WVGA display.

All three handsets will be launched in Australia throughout July. The Snap and Touch Pro 2 will be short-term Telstra exclusives, with Optus enjoying a similar exclusive period for the Touch Diamond 2. Pricing will be announced by the carriers closer to launch.